President appoints Aishath Mohamed Didi as new gender minister
The appointment was made on Sunday, following the resignation of Shidhatha Shareef last week
The appointment was made on Sunday
Aishath Mohamed Didi has been appointed as the gender minister, following Shidhatha Shareef’s resignation last week.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih made the appointment on Sunday, and she was presented with the letter of appointment at a ceremony held at the President’s Office in the afternoon.
Her oath of office was administered by Justice Husnu Suood.
While Aishath was the Maldives high commissioner to India prior to her appointment as gender minister, she had served in the Ministry of Gender and Family from 2005 to 2008.
She was also a member of the United Nation’s Task Force on Gender and its Task Force on Youth and Adolescents, as well as the chairperson of the Children’s Home Governing Board, Council for the Rights of Children and Society for Health Education.
She attained her Bachelor’s Degree in Arts in Lebanon, and her Masters in the United Kingdom.
Gender Minister Shidhatha resigned on Thursday, amid a potential impeachment motion.
Shidhatha’s resignation came less than a day after the main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s parliamentary group decided to submit a no-confidence motion against her. While an emergency meeting was held to discuss the matter, all 45 MPs who took part in the meeting voted to remove the gender minister.
A number of lawmakers, as well as members of the public, have been calling for Shidhatha’s resignation, claiming failure to fulfill responsibilities.
A series of protests were held across the nation after a case of a toddler being raped by her grandfather and great-grandfather this January. One of the men had prior cases, but was not in custody “considering his age.”
A number of other child abuse cases have emerged since, almost at least one per day, which shows the ministry’s failure in the matter.
President Solih also touched on the increase of sexual abuse cases against children during his address at this year’s inaugural parliament sitting on Monday, adding that this is due to systemic negligence.
