Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hope for Women to assist victims of domestic and gender-based violence.
The MoU was signed on January 23 by State Minister for Gender, Family and Social Services Zifleena Hassan and Chairperson of Hope for Women Ahmed Anwar. Under the MoU, Hope for Women will assist the gender ministry in cases of domestic and gender-based violence by providing legal and peer support group services.
The MoU is part of efforts to extend the services offered to victims of domestic and gender-based violence. The gender ministry said the MoU will enable support and assistance to be extended to victims of such cases across the country, including the atolls.
A survey conducted in the Maldives revealed one in every three women in the Maldives have suffered from domestic or gender based violence at least once in their lifetime. The gender ministry launched a campaign in 2020 to create social awareness on domestic violence. As a result, the ministry said more cases have been reported over the past year, compared to previous years.