First Lady Fazna Ahmed has said the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had played a pivotal role over the years in helping raise healthy, educated, and empowered young adults across the globe, including the Maldives. She made the statement in a video message she delivered at the Reimagining Opportunities for Children in South Asia event held in Kathmandu, Nepal, and virtually, as part of celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the agency.
The high-level event, organised by the UNICEF Regional Office in South Asia, featured video messages from governments across the region, with the First Lady delivering her message as the UNICEF Champion for the Rights of Children and Young People in the Maldives.
UNICEF first started working in the Maldives some 43 years ago. The Maldives has come a long way since then, according to the first lady. She added close to 100% of children are enrolled in primary education and the mortality rate has decreased 7.6/1,000 births in 2019.
Speaking about the government’s commitment to protecting the rights of children, First Lady Fazna underscored as important milestones the legislative work done so far, including the ratification of the Child Rights Act and the Juvenile Justice Act in 2019. The first lady said these laws mandated a safe platform for children to voice and participate in making decisions that affect them and prohibited the death penalty of juveniles and prohibited child labour and child marriage. She also highlighted that the Education Act, which followed in 2020, recognised the importance of inclusive education.
While the intervention of UNICEF played a key role in getting the Maldives to where it is now, the first lady stressed that there is more that needs to be done. She noted around the world, millions of children are being stripped of their rights to health services and education due to COVID-19.
First Lady Fazna concluded her remarks by extending warm wishes for the 75th anniversary of UNICEF.