Children's Ombudsperson Niumaath’s term extended by 5 years

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Wednesday extended the term of Children's Ombudsperson Niumaath’s term extended by 5 years Niumaath Shafeeg by another five years.

President Muizzu had submitted a formal request to the Parliament seeking extend Niumaath’s term on July 14. The Parliament approved by extension with a unanimous vote of 50 on Monday.

The President’s Office said in a statement that President Muizzu extended Niumaath’s term on Wednesday morning.

The position of Children's Ombudsperson was created under the Child Rights Protection Act enacted in 2019 during former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration.

Niumaath was appointed as the country’s first Children's Ombudsperson on July 23, 2020.

Her term had been set to expire on Wednesday, but will now expire on July 23, 2030.

An experienced child rights advocate, Niumaath previously served as the UNICEF National Consultant for the Health Protection Agency (HPA), and as an Education Development Officer Coordinator for the National Institute of Education. She also worked as a part-time lecturer at Villa College, Maldives National University (MNU) and Islamic University of Maldives (IUM). She continues to volunteer as Chief Commissioner of the Maldives’ Girl Guides’ Association.

Niumaath completed her International Masters in Early Childhood from Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Norway. And her Bachelors of Early Childhood from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. She had also previously obtained a diploma in Preschool Teaching from Visaka Nursery and Training in Sri Lanka.

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