Vice President Faisal Naseem has reiterated the commitment of the administration to eliminate all forms of abuse and violence against women in the Maldives. He made the remarks in a video statement released on the occasion of the International Day of Eliminating Violence Against Women, marked on November 25.
In his remarks, Vice President Faisal Naseem highlighted that violence against women remains a serious problem throughout the world, noting over one-third of women in the Maldives have suffered from some form of violence or abuse. The vice president further underlined that far too many perpetrators escape justice and that too many survivors still do not have easy access to the care and resources they need to rebuild their lives. He noted that these are longstanding issues that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s government has tasked itself with addressing, even more urgently now than before, in light of the increased reports of domestic violence following the restrictions imposed across the nation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vice President Faisal Naseem said that during the lockdown, the government had established a designated hotline to urge victims of domestic abuse to report violence against them. Further, he noted despite the challenges of the pandemic, the government remains committed to implementing its plans to establish domestic shelters and safe-spaces for victims of abuse, to reform the criminal justice system to hold perpetrators accountable and to changing mindsets and traditions which are harmful to women.
The vice president concluded his statement stating that the Maldives, along with its international partners, must do all it can to ensure that women throughout the world are treated with respect and dignity and can live their lives without the fear of abuse.