Maldives vice president Abdulla Jihad on Thursday noted that as 45 percent of the country’s population was women, their contribution will ensure speedy national development.
Speaking during the ceremony held to mark the International Women’s Day, the Vice President said safeguarding women’s rights and empowering women remains a key priority of this government.
Though various works has been done for women’s development, Vice President noted that women’s contributions in several areas were relatively less in comparison.
He highlighted that this administration has focused on addressing the numerous challenges faced in women’s development.
The Vice President said that gender equality legislation implemented in 2015 addresses the challenges faced by women, in order to ensure higher contributions by women in national development. Moreover, the Vice President said that an investment for women’s education is an investment for nation building.
In his speech, the Vice President stated that violence against women is damage to the whole society, and therefore he noted that safeguarding women’s rights and empowering women to change the situation of women is a responsibility of the whole society.
Vice President Jihad called on all employers, teachers and parents to provide the opportunity and allow all children to pursue their dreams, without discriminating them by gender.
