President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has appointed Niumath Shafeeq as the Children's Ombudsperson, in accordance with the Child Rights Protection Act.
At a ceremony held at President's Office, President Solih handed over the appointment credentials to Niumath Shafeeq. Her appointment had been unanimously approved by the Parliament of the Maldives on July 20.
Niumath Shafeeq is an experienced child rights advocate who has for many years worked to promote the welfare and interests of children. She previously served as the National Consultant of United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for the Health Protection Agency (HPA), and as an Education Development Officer Coordinator for the National Institute of Education (NIE). Further, she worked as a part-time lecturer at Villa College, Maldives National University (MNU) and Islamic University of the Maldives (IUM). She continues to volunteer as the Chief Commissioner of the Maldives Girl Guides Association.
Niumath Shafeeq completed her International Masters in Early Childhood from Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Norway. Previously, she had completed her Bachelors of Early Childhood from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Furthermore, she had previously obtained a diploma in Preschool Teaching from Visaka Nursery and Training in Sri Lanka.
The Children's Ombudsperson is tasked with the protection and promotion of rights ensured under the Child Rights Protection Act. The ombudsperson is also responsible for making sure the relevant state institutions act in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. As such, the ombudsperson is responsible for monitoring and evaluating staff at the institutions tasked with protecting children's rights and carrying out inquiries on any violations.