First Lady Fazna Ahmed has emphasised the importance of ensuring gender equality in all aspects of community life so that society can have a safe and sustainable future. She made the remark while speaking at the official ceremony held to mark International Women’s Day.
Speaking at the event, First Lady Fazna said while Women's Day has a different theme each year, the main focus of these themes had always remained consistent. The first lady highlighted the countless hurdles faced by women in achieving gender equality even in today’s society, adding that a fair share of these obstacles and the burdens women are expected to carry would be reduced if men share the responsibilities.
Furthermore, First Lady Fazna expressed contentment towards the progressive changes made by the administration in empowering women. She highlighted the initiative to allocate leadership roles specifically for women in an effort to enhance representation and the role of women in society. She reiterated that women bring a fresh perspective to the decision-making table, alluding to scenarios where meaningful contributions had been overlooked, that could have been presented to decision-makers had there been a better representation of women during the process.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih attended the event as the guest of honour, accompanied by Vice President Faisal Naseem. The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is Gender Equality Today, for a Sustainable Tomorrow.
Additionally, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih presented the Rehendhi Award to nine recipients, and the brooches were presented to the award recipients by First Lady Fazna Ahmed. In addition, Vice President Naseem had unveiled the Gender Equality Action Plan.
The Rehendhi Award is presented by the president in recognition of the role played by women in national service, national development, and the development of Maldivian society. A total of 55 people have received the award since its inception in 2014.