The Parliament’s general committee has passed an amendment to the Parliament Services Guidelines, to grant six months paid maternity leave to employees at the People's Majlis.

The amendment was passed during a committee meeting held on Thursday.

Granting civil service employees six months paid maternity leave is included in incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s first 100-day pledges.

President Solih announced that starting 7th March, all mothers will be granted six months paid maternity leave and a month-long paternity leave for fathers.

President Solih noted that ensuring women empowerment and facilitating women to reach their true potential is a responsibility of every single person. Highlighting that the empowerment of the whole community will be the result of empowering women, the President also stated that increasing women’s participation in the sustainable progress of the country is an important policy of the current government.

With the announcement, government companies, such as State Trading Organization (STO) and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) had also announced that they will be putting the policy into effect. MACL went on to state that this will bring about great benefits to their female employees.

Over 13,000 female civil service workers are currently employed in the Maldives.