Over 4,500 civil servants have been granted six-month maternity leave following childbirth, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said.
President Solih was speaking at an official ceremony held at the Umar Zahir Office Building on the occasion of International Women's Day on Monday night.
Six months of paid maternity leave for female civil servants and one month of paid paternity leave for male employees were introduced after President Solih came to power. The President said 4,619 people had been granted maternity and paternity leave in the past four years.
The President also spoke about the efforts being made to empower women. He mentioned the "Meery" project launched by the government to increase women's participation in the social and economic sectors. He noted that players in the national teams are now paid without discrimination between men and women to achieve class equality. He noted that if a female player has to travel out of the country for training or tournaments, they can now bring their children below the age of two and a guardian.
In addition, in order to remove barriers to women remaining in employment, government agencies and various companies are providing facilities for children. Government agencies are also arranging flexible working hours for mothers, he said.
The President concluded by saying that he hoped that the spirit of putting women at the forefront and providing opportunities for women would be instilled in society as a whole.
