Increasing women’s role in governance is a ‘core policy’, says President

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday described expanding opportunities for women and increasing the participation of women in leadership roles within the government as one of the core policies of his administration.

He made the remarks in an address in the morning on occasion of International Women’s Day.

In his address, President Muizzu said that women’s full participation is essential in education, healthcare, social services, governance, business, and economic activities—all crucial to a nation’s survival and progress.

He stressed that no country can endure without the contribution and support of women.

It is one of the administration’s core policies to expand opportunities for women, strengthen their role in governance, and empower them to become self-sufficient and independent, he said.

In his address, President Muizzu noted that the earliest records of Maldivian history depict the country’s women as spirited, diligent, and devoted individuals who made valuable contributions both within and beyond the household – driving national development and progress.

He described women as the pillars of Maldivian society, who, throughout generations, have safeguarded the peace and security of the Maldives for thousands of years.

In his address, President Muizzu also highlighted on the role Islam has played in safeguarding women’s rights and elevating their dignity, honor and status in society.

He noted that Prophet Mohamed taught that the first, second, and third person one must treat with utmost kindness and compassion is one’s mother. And that one of his final instructions before his passing was to be kind to one’s wife.

President Muizzu noted that women dominate key service sectors such as healthcare and education, and celebrated the achievement of female athletes.

Quoting the well-known adage, "Educate a woman, and you educate a generation," he noted that Maldivian girls outnumber boys in secondary, higher secondary, and university education, with most top-achieving students also female.

He described this as a promising sign for the future of the Maldivian nation.