Achievements and Challenges for Gender Mainstreaming in the Employment Sector of the Maldives

Abstract

In the Maldives, women face little discrimination in basic aspects of life such as education and employment rights. Traditionally, they have been an integral part of the economy, especially due to their central role in the fisheries industry. The changing economic landscape, which involves a shift toward manufacturing, service provision, and migration to urban centers, has inadvertently diminished women’s participation in economic activities, confining a significant proportion to household duties. The last decades, however, have once again seen a steady increase in the number of women joining the workforce, and they now even outnumber men in some professions. This is thanks partly to academic progress and economic development, but also to successive governments’ policies for promoting gender mainstreaming. Despite these positive strides, deep-rooted cultural beliefs coupled with inconsistent and inappropriate institutional policies continue to contribute to work and wage inequalities. Thus, a more focused, strategic, and holistic realignment of gender policies is needed in order to amplify the recent achievements, so women can break into leadership positions and narrow the pay gap.