First Lady Sajidha Mohamed has stated that incorporating gender-specific data into the process of policy formulation is not merely a choice but rather an imperative necessity. She made the remarks at the function held on Wednesday morning to mark the start of the Gender Data Use in Policy Making Validation and Advocacy Workshop.

Speaking at the workshop, the First Lady emphasised the workshop’s opportune timing in forming new policies guided by a comprehensive analysis of available data. She added that the new administration of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu remains dedicated to aligning the nation's development with the desires of its citizens. She encouraged stakeholders to consider these aspirations when forming policies, regulations, and laws.

The First Lady stated that the Government is not only committed to gender equality but also aims to enhance women's involvement in all aspects of national development. She added that boosting women’s economic contributions and participation in political and public life are among the focus areas.

The workshop focused on validating the provisional findings of “The role of gender data in policymaking in the Maldives” study conducted by the Maldives Bureau of Statistics (MBS) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MoSFD) in collaboration with the Partnership for Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21).