Nasheed: Women have to be facilitated opportunities in parliament

Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed, on Wednesday, stressed the importance of ratifying the law to facilitate special opportunities for women within the parliament. 

Nasheed, opening Wednesday's sitting, referring to International Women's Day commemorated today, said that the people do ponder on the inclusion of women within Parliament. Subsequently, he underscored political parties should be responsible for changing the present composition of the parliament. 

“Working to provide women more opportunities to be represented within the parliament is something we should re-aim for and work towards,” he said.

People’s Majlis has a total of 87 members, out of which only four are women. They are North Galolhu MP Eva Abdulla, Addu Meedhoo MP Rozaina Adam, Hinnavaru MP Jeehan Mahmood, and Thulhaadhoo MP Hisaan Hussain.

In the political sector of the Maldives, both men and women have equal opportunities. 

In order to increase the representation of women, 33 percent of local councils are allocated for women, but as of now, there is no such allocation in the parliament.