Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), on Monday, appointed three women to the position of Lieutenant Colonel for the first time in Maldivian history.
The three women, previously holding the rank of Major, that received the promotion were Dr Fathmath Thahuseen, Dr Aiminath Shumra and Hawwa Sheeneen.
The letters of promotion were formally handed out by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Ibrahim Mohamed during a ceremony.
As part of the function, President Solih also promoted four colonels to the position of Brigadier General. The individuals are Mohamed Shareef, Ismail Shareef, Abdulla Zuhur and Abdul Matheen.
During his address at the function, President Solih highlighted the historic milestone represented by the appointment of women to the position of Lieutenant Colonel. He added that the appointment demonstrated the equal opportunity given to women in the defence force.
President Solih went on to assure that he worked to bring further development to the entire sector and ensure that all individuals were given the opportunity to secure progress by contributing to the nation without being subject to any kind of discrimination.
Furthermore, the president revealed that efforts to strengthen the framework of granting promotions was underway, with reference to best practices followed by foreign countries. In reference to such efforts, he expressed the importance of prioritising the education, discipline and productivity of officers.
Noting state endeavours to procure advanced military equipment including vessels, President Solih also noted that training programmes both abroad and in Maldives, were increased compared to previous years.