Civil Service investigates why few women are in leading positions

Civil Service Commission (CSC) has launched a survey to identify why there is a lack of woman in leadership positions despite the high number of women in the commission itself.

Both CSC employees and public alike can fill the survey utilised to collect information from government employees.

While the government employees over 26,000 people, 62 percent is made up of women. Men comprise the remaining 38 percent.

Civil Servants statistics

Women (Male' area): 6,135 employees

Men (Male' area): 3,962 employees

Women (Administrative islands): 10,458 employees

Men (Administrative islands): 6,143 employees

The civil service survey will look into the challenges faced by a government employee to remain in their position or advancing their career. These will attempt to figure out if the obstacles are due to lack of career advancement opportunities, lack of wage increases, or whether there is a practice of discriminating between women and men in the workforce. They will also include whether the way society views men and women come into play as well.

They had previously submitted a motion to the parliament calling to end systematic discrimination against women, who make up 49 percent of Maldives' population. The motion said appropriate measures must be taken to eliminate discrimination against women in the community, and to facilitate equal opportunities for women in Maldivian society and ensure equality before the law.

Parliament, along with Maldives National University (MNU), had conducted a survey to identify systematic discrimination women face, and what measures can be taken to improve the situation as well. The survey also gathered the society's opinion on women filling different positions in the community.

The participants of the survey expressed they did not see any issue with women holding senior positions in Maldives.

The survey said there was room to conclude that Maldives faced less gender related discrimination compared to neighbouring countries in the region. The survey found that while there is no notable wage discrimination between men and women that hold the same position, women's income was relatively low compared to men.