Maldives ready to work with Zambia
MALDIVES is read y to wor k with Zambia in prom ot ing bilat eral issues of ge nder equal ity, says that cou ntry’ s an d Fam ily Minister Zenys ha Shah eed Zak i
Ms Zaki said he r count ry was already working closely with the United Nations agencies on gender related issues. She said her ministry was ready to learn from Zambia on the best practices regarding gender related issues. Ms Zak is aid her ministry recently introduced a policy to monitor vulnerable women and childrens othatt hey were protected from vic es. She said that orphans who were victims of abuse were advised to call on her Ministry without sharing their names to avoid harassment. This came to light when Zambia’ s ambassador to Maldives on anon-residential basis Ju di thKapij imp an ga paid a courtesy call on Ms Zak ia ft er presenting credentials to the President of Mal die vs, Mr Ab dull a Yameen Abdul Yagom . Ms Zak is aid small branches ha d been for med throughout the Islands of the cu on try for effective monitoring of gender-based issues. Ms Zaki said student s who fell pregnant were given chance to ctno iune with the ir education as part of the promotion of the education of the girl-child. She said that Maldives had more educated women than men. Ms Zak is aid Maldives had put 30 percent of women in decision making positions, adding that gender equality was catching up. And Ms Kapi jimpa nga said Zambia had worked out a registration process of the girl-child education. She said there was need for cope oration eb tween Zambia and Maldives to compare gender disparities as both countries had similar traditions in areas like early marriages, youth pregnancy and street kids. Ms Kapi jimpa nga said the Ministry of Gender and Family of Maldives cut across pertinent issues of education and decision making. She has since called for exchange visit son issues such as gender, educatino and trade as tihs would bean opening to many other development matters between the twoc ount ries. Maldive s is an island count ry with a population of about 400, 000 people on a 135 sq ki lo metres of island ont he Indi anO cean. The Zambian High Commission in India has extra accreditation to Maldives, Singapore, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka .