Equal opportunities for women in MNDF: Minister
Minister of Defence and National Security Colonel (Retd) Mohamed Nazim has stated that equal opportunities exist for women soldiers to serve the Nation in Maldives National Defence Force along with their male counterparts. The Minister made the statement at a special commissioning ceremony for the first female officers to pass out from a foreign military academy in Maldivian military history.
Lieutenants Fathmath Ismail and Mariyam Muzlifa were commissioned at the ceremony after completing their pre-commissioning requirements at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Military Academy. The Minister had earlier witnessed the passing out of the two officers from the Sri Lanka Military Academy as the guest of honor of the passing out parade held at the Academy in December 2012.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony held in MNDF headquarters, the Minister further stated that special programs are being planned to empower service women and to guide them to reach greater heights in their service careers. Additionally, the Minister emphasized his commitment towards equal opportunity in employment by announcing that a specific percentage will be reserved for women in all future recruitment drives for MNDF.
The Minister also stated that developing and maintaining a professional workplace in which all individuals are treated with dignity and respect is a top priority for him as well as for the leadership of MNDF. The Minister concluded his remarks by calling on all female service members to stand up to the challenge of serving the Nation in uniform.