Parliamentary approval sought to extend Children’s Ombudsperson Niumath’s term

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has sought parliamentary approval to extend the term of Children’s Ombudsperson Niumath Shafeeg’s term by an additional five years.

Children’s Ombudsperson is a post established under Article 113 of the Child Rights Protect Act ratified by former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on November 20, 2019.

Niumath was appointed to the post on July 23, 2020. Her current term is set to expire on 23^rd of this month.  

A letter sent by President Muizzu was read out during Monday’s parliamentary sitting. In his letter, the President sought parliamentary approval to extend Niumath’s term by an additional five years.

The matter has been forwarded to the Committee on Human Rights and Gender Committee for review.

An experienced child rights advocate, Niumath has worked for many years to advance the welfare and interests of children. She previously served as the UNICEF National Consultant for the Health Protection Agency (HPA), and as an Education Development Officer Coordinator at the National Institute of Education. In addition, she has worked as a part-time lecturer at Villa College, Maldives National University (MNU), and the Islamic University of Maldives (IUM). She continues to serve as a volunteer in her role as Chief Commissioner of the Maldives Girl Guides Association.

Niumath completed her International Master’s in Early Childhood at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences in Norway. She had earlier earned her Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Additionally, she obtained a diploma in Preschool Teaching from Visaka Nursery and Training in Sri Lanka.

The Children’s Ombudsperson’s duties will include overseeing all matters related to children’s rights and welfare, and assessing government compliance with the provisions of the Child Rights Protection Act.