First Lady Sajidha Mohamed has said empowering women is fundamental to nation-building and development and contributes to stronger families and communities.

Speaking as the guest of honour at the graduation ceremony of the Viluntheri Kanbalun training programme, First Lady Sajidha said the resilience of Maldivian women has always been essential to the country’s progress and will remain so in the future.

She described women as an integral part of the country’s social fabric and stressed the importance of ensuring their meaningful participation in all areas of national development.

First Lady Sajidha called for programmes that create opportunities for women to develop their skills and participate more fully in nation-building.

Reflecting on Islamic history, she said Islam established justice between women and men and provided numerous examples of women taking active roles in different areas of society.

She also highlighted the contributions of Maldivian women throughout the country’s history, saying their vision, dedication and expertise would continue to play an important role in national development.

First Lady Sajidha said empowering women while preserving the country’s cultural values and strengthening their intellectual and practical resilience represented a “truly historic opportunity” for the Maldives.

At the ceremony, the First Lady presented certificates to more than 170 graduates from eight batches of the programme and joined them for a commemorative photograph.

She also took part in a group photograph with students from Mohamed Qasim Preschool’s band following their performance at the ceremony.

The Viluntheri Kanbalun programme was jointly conducted by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and Maldives Institute of Technology (MIT) to empower women in technical fields, promote self-reliance and build confidence.