Dunya: Women can perform much better as members of parliament

Dunya Maumoon, former Maldivian foreign minister who is contesting the South Hulhumale’ parliamentary seat as an independent candidate, states women can perform much better as members of the parliament. 

In an exclusive interview to SSTV,  Dunya spoke regarding the lack of women in some sectors when she first started working. Particularly citing tourism and the legal sectors, Dunya said women were hesitant to work in these sectors back then.

Although this has changed now, she still emphasized the need to increase the share of women working in some sectors, citing politics as one of them.

“I am still very concerned over the lack of women in the parliament. Moreover, the number of women contesting for parliamentary seats is still very low,” she said.

Dunya further said women contesting for parliamentary election faced much more obstructions than men. In this regard, she pointed out extremely capable women losing out in primaries of political parties solely due to their gender.

“If it is a woman, they are targeted with huge criticism. Very often, they are challenged on a personal level and various aspects of their personal life are brought into question. This is why many women are scared and hesitant,” she said.

On the contrary, Dunya said male candidates are not questioned as often, while their education and previous experience are not raised as often either.

Nevertheless, she spoke regarding the importance of female participation in the political sector, adding women can play a crucial role in peaceful resolution instead of opting for “war” all the time.

“I believe women can play this role much better in parties as well. We cannot move forward by going against each other or harassing each other,” she said.

Dunya, urging women to contest, advised them to stay strong and move forward despite the obstructions.

“There will be hard things. Difficult things. But I think it is very important to go forward by finding strength and seeking ways of encouragement,” she said.

Dunya, who served as the Maldivian Foreign Minister from 2013 to 2016, has also worked in the United Nations Human Rights Commission.