Gov’t to Develop Domestic Violence Shelters, One in Addu to be Announced this Month

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu stated the Maldivian government plans to develop three shelters for domestic abuse survivors across the nation, and the government will announce development plans for the shelter in Addu City this month. 

According to Article 84 of the Maldivian constitution, the President has to address the nation on the first session of the first parliamentary term each year. Muizzu’s address today was interrupted at first due to protests by opposition parliamentarians until Speaker of the Parliament Abdulraheem Abdulla eventually kicked the protesting members out of the hall.

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After resuming his address, Muizzu called back on the pledges he had made to the citizens of the nations, the projects he had started, their progress, and the projects he planned to kickstart.

He said he plans to develop places that provide temporary shelter to domestic abuse victims across the nation, and the development plan for the one in Addu will be announced this month.

“… God be willing it will be completed within a year and available for service by then,” President Muizzu said in Dhivehi in his address. 

Additionally, he said the government plans to launch a training program aimed at building young people who work to prevent domestic and gender-based violence. This program will train 500 people, Muizzu said.

Noting projects he introduced for the betterment of Maldivian citizens, President Muizzu noted the Light Loans initiative launched last year, with an allocated budget of over MVR 100 million, intended to encourage women to start businesses. He said 60 women have received loans in the initial phase of this scheme already, and its second phase will resume sometime this year.

“Twenty-five percent of this special scheme is set for women with disabilities,” he said.

Muizzu also plans to change the employment benefits members of the Women’s Development Committees (WDC) across the country receive. Their current payments, which are considered “allowances,” will be given the status of a “salary,” ensuring they are eligible to receive Ramadan allowances and apply for loans as well. 

He said this administration’s goal is to ensure no person gets left behind in development projects.