The Maldives has stressed the need for women's advancement to be plugged into the post-2015 development agenda. This was emphasised in its statement at the Third Committee of the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on the agenda item, Advancement of Women. "There cannot be human development without women's advancement. There cannot be sustainable development without gender equality", the statement said.
Gender equality has always remained a priority issue for the Maldives, the Committee was told. As per UNDP's records of 2013, the Maldives has the highest ranking in terms of gender equality in the South Asian region in Gender Inequality Index and the second highest in the Gender-related Development Index. It was also noted that the laws of the Maldives guarantee the same rights and freedoms to women and men alike; the principles of equality and non-discrimination embedded in its Constitution.
The Maldives informed the Committee that it had enacted a suite of legislation and formulated policies upholding principles and providing for the equal participation of women in political, social and economic activities. While all women enjoy equal pay for equal work as their male counterparts, under the 2008 Employment Act, working mothers are guaranteed maternity leave with 3-months full pay. The Domestic Violence Act of 2012 has enabled the building of safe houses for abused women and the Acts on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Offences make gender discrimination unlawful, while establishing the first formal mechanism to hear sexual harassment complaints.
Despite this progress, many challenges remain with traditional attitudes and cultural norms being the tallest obstacles in the Maldives on the path to women's advancement and human development as a whole, noted the statement.
The statement was delivered by Ms. Shiruzimath Sameer, Representative of the Maldives Delegation.
