In light of the recently surfaced case of sexual abuse involving a 2-year-old toddler from GA. Kanduhulhudhoo, Gender Minister Shidhatha Shareef revealed that there are no employees present at the Gender Ministry's Centre in GA. Atoll. Shidhatha made these remarks Saturday night at the Parliament's Human Rights and Gender Committee.
During the committee meeting held on the matter Saturday night, Minister Shidhatha said that the Ministry had not attained sufficient funds, facilities, and employees. Further, that the centres in respective atolls are not in the best of conditions.
According to Shidhatha each Atoll is assigned one centre located in one of the islands. The Minister stated that this was hardly sufficient, and that the number of employees they had in service at the centres were insufficient as well.
As such, she revealed that the centre situated in the toddler's residential GA. Atoll do not have any employees present. They have been searching for an employee for over a year, she said.
The Minister also emphasized the need to establish Gender Ministry services in all islands, stating that social workers and monitors needed to be stationed in each.
Furthermore, Minister Shidhatha noted that while there is a need to develop these establishments, the Gender Ministry did not have the budget necessary to take action.
