| No |
Recommendation |
Convention/Treaty Body |
| CEDAW - 7 |
The Committee stressed the crucial role of the legislative power in ensuring the full implementation of the Convention (see the statement by the Committee on its relationship with parliamentarians, adopted at the forty-fifth session, in 2010). It invites the People’s Majlis, in line with its mandate, to take the necessary steps regarding the implementation of the present concluding observations between now and the next reporting period under the Convention. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 9 |
The State party should ensure the full implementation of the Convention and, to that end, recommends that it honour its commitment to withdrawing its reservation to article 16 (2) within a clear time frame and to reviewing its reservation to article 16 (1), with a view to fully withdrawing it, taking into consideration the practices of countries with similar religious backgrounds and legal systems that have successfully harmonized their national legislation with international human rights obligations and consultations with civil society, in particular women’s organizations. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 11 |
The State party should:
(a) take steps to ensure the incorporation of the Convention into the State party’s national legal system in order to make its provisions directly applicable and enforceable by the courts;
(b) expeditiously adopt the gender equality bill and ensure that it includes a definition of discrimination, in conformity with article 1 of the Convention, encompassing both direct and indirect discrimination in the public and private spheres, as well as the principle of gender equality, in line with article 2 of the Convention;
(c) conduct a systematic gender review of its legislation as part of the ongoing legal reform with a view to bringing it into full compliance with the Convention and ensuring that all discriminatory provisions, including family and criminal law provisions, are repealed or amended;
(d) enact the regulations required for the full implementation of the Domestic Violence Prevention Act (2012) and the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act (2013). |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 13 |
The State party should:
(a) expedite the adoption of bills pending before the parliament aimed at strengthening the State party’s administration of justice, in particular the bills on legal aid, evidence, witness protection, juvenile justice and the judicature, remove evidentiary requirements that discriminate against women and ensure the equal consideration and weight of women’s testimonies as witnesses;
(b) strengthen the independence of the judiciary, establish legal remedies that are expeditious and accessible to women, and ensure, through adequate regulations and procedures, that women who report violations, especially in cases of violence, are treated in a gender-sensitive manner at all stages of judicial proceedings;
(c) take measures to increase the representation of women in the judiciary, in particular as judges and court officials;
(d) provide systematic training to judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, especially the police, and lawyers on women’s rights and ensure that the Convention, the Committee’s general recommendations and its jurisprudence under the Optional Protocol are sufficiently known and applied by the judiciary and that they are an integral part of all capacity-building programmes;
(e) enhance women’s awareness of their rights and disseminate information on the remedies available to those who claim violations of their rights. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 15 |
The State party should:
(a) Strengthen the status and structure of the newly restructured Ministry of Law and Gender and provide it with adequate decision-making powers to enable it to develop sustainable policies and programmes aimed at achieving gender equality in a comprehensive manner and to effectively coordinate gender mainstreaming at all levels;
(b) Allocate sufficient and sustainable human and financial resources to the national machinery for its effective functioning in all areas of women’s empowerment and to enable it to provide systematic training to staff and officials of other ministries and ensure that the Convention and the Committee’s general recommendations are sufficiently known;
(c) Establish impact assessment mechanisms for the gender equality policy to ensure that it is adequately monitored and evaluated, with a view to informing further policies. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 17 |
The State party should ensure that the Human Rights Commission is able to discharge, with full independence and without any reprisals, its broad human rights mandate as sanctioned by the Constitution, including its mandate to work on women’s rights, in accordance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles). |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 19 |
The State party should:
(a) Intensify its efforts to raise the awareness of political parties regarding the nature and scope of temporary special measures with a view to familiarizing them with the concept;
(b) Include a legislative basis for the adoption of temporary special measures in the gender equality bill and implement those measures in various forms, such as outreach and support programmes, quotas and other proactive and results-oriented measures aimed at achieving substantive equality between women and men in all areas, especially in economic, political and public life, in which women are underrepresented, and use those measures to address the disadvantages and inequalities faced by women outside Male and in remote islands, migrant women, women with disabilities and women heads of household. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 21 |
The State party should strengthen its efforts to combat discriminatory stereotypes and promote the value of substantive equality of women and men in society as a whole and, to that end:
(a) Adopt strategies, including awareness-raising and educational campaigns for the general public, targeting in particular girls and women, parents and teachers, as well as conduct dialogues, forums and consultations with religious leaders aimed at the promotion of non-stereotypical and positive images of women and establish a baseline and clear indicators to measure the progress and results of such strategies;
(b) Ensure the full implementation of the laws criminalizing female genital mutilation and bring perpetrators to justice. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 23 |
The State party should:
adopt specific legislation, within a clear time frame, to criminalize marital rape without any exemptions;
(a) To ensure the effective implementation of the Domestic Violence Prevention Act, including by allocating adequate financial resources for the implementation of the Domestic Violence Prevention National Strategy, and establish mechanisms to ensure that law enforcement officers respond to and investigate complaints regarding violence against women and that perpetrators are prosecuted and punished;
(b) To put in place an effective system to monitor and evaluate the implementation, effectiveness and impact of the new legislative framework and collect disaggregated data on the number of prosecutions and convictions of perpetrators;
(c) To strengthen victim assistance and rehabilitation by establishing a comprehensive care system for women who are victims of violence, including medical and psychological support, counselling and rehabilitation services, throughout the territory of the State party and, to that end, increase the effectiveness of the family and protection services centres and safe houses by providing adequate funding and trained personnel;
(d) To disseminate clear information aimed at specific groups, including teenage girls and migrant women, on the criminalization of various forms of violence under the new legislative framework;
(e) To develop measures to encourage women to lodge criminal complaints, and to eliminate the stereotyping and stigmatization faced by women who are victims of violence and claim their rights. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 25 |
The State party should:
(a) Strengthen the implementation of the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act, including by enhancing capacity-building efforts for law enforcement and border patrol officers in order to increase their ability to identify potential victims of trafficking;
(b) Allocate adequate human, financial and technical resources to the Government Oversight Committee, as well as for the implementation of the National Action Plan against Human Trafficking;
(c) Establish appropriate protocols aimed at the early identification and referral of, and assistance to and support for, victims of trafficking, especially migrant and rural women, and develop mechanisms for the investigation, prosecution and punishment of trafficking offenders;
(d) Systematically collect information on trafficking in women and girls to, from and within the State party in order to take informed measures to tackle the phenomenon, and conduct research on the internal trafficking risk factors to which women and girls from rural and remote islands travelling to Male or other islands for educational or employment opportunities are exposed and take measures to reduce such risks;
(e) Consider ratifying the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 27 |
The State party should:
(a) Consider reviewing relevant provisions in force to decriminalize women engaged in prostitution;
(b) Collect statistical and disaggregated data on the extent and magnitude of prostitution and undertake a study to assess the root causes of the phenomenon, giving particular attention to risk factors linked to the tourism sector, migration and the drug trade;
(c) Develop measures aimed at preventing the exploitation of prostitution of women and girls, in particular migrant women and those involved in the drug trade, and establish rehabilitation programmes for women and girls in prostitution, including shelters, exit programmes for women who wish to leave prostitution and alternative income-generating opportunities. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 29 |
The State party should:
(a) Conduct awareness-raising activities for politicians and community leaders, in particular men, as well as the general public, on the importance of the full and equal participation of women in leadership and decision-making with a view to eliminating social and patriarchal attitudes;
(b) Increase the role and visibility of women in politics with a view to translating their engagement into leadership roles, targeting in particular current and potential women candidates, and provide incentives for political parties to nominate equal numbers of women and men as candidates;
(c) Adopt programmes to provide financial resources, technical advice on campaign management, targeted capacity-building and mentoring on leadership and negotiating skills for women who aim to gain access to public positions;
(d) Adopt and implement temporary special measures in the form of quotas, with benchmarks and specific timetables, to increase the representation of women in, among others, decision-making positions, the parliament, government positions, the judiciary and all local governance bodies at the atoll and island levels. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 31 |
The State party should revise its nationality laws in order to remove discrimination against foreign women who have children with Maldivian men out of wedlock with regard to the transmission of nationality. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 33 |
The State party should:
(a) Provide free school transport and economic assistance for girls, especially in rural areas and on remote islands, and promote their access to higher levels of education, as well as reduce the number of girls who are dropping out of school for such reasons as engagement in domestic work or early marriage and/or pregnancies;
(b) Formulate re-entry and inclusive education policies enabling pregnant girls, young mothers and married girls under 18 years of age to remain in or return to school and ensure that such policies are disseminated to all educational establishments, as well as among parents and communities;
(c) Encourage women and girls to choose non-traditional fields of education and careers, in particular technological and science subjects, such as environmental and engineering studies, which are particularly relevant in the State party. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 35 |
The State party should:
(a) Take measures to enhance awareness among women employees, including migrant women, about the provisions of the Employment Act, in particular on sexual harassment, and about remedies available to protect their rights;
(b) Provide sex-disaggregated data on the position of women in the labour market and reduce the gender pay gap, including by addressing occupational sex segregation and enforcing the principle of equal pay for work of equal value;
(c) Design and implement public policies to extend social protection coverage to women in the informal economy and self-employed women;
(d) Address obstacles preventing women from entering the labour market by implementing measures to promote the reconciliation of family and work responsibilities of women and men;
(e) Regulate and monitor the working conditions of migrant women employed as domestic workers in order to protect them from exploitative labour, through increased inspections and the imposition of fines on abusive employers;
(f) Promote opportunities for women to seek employment in the tourism sector. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 37 |
The State party should:
(a) Take steps to expedite the adoption of the maternal and child health bill;
(b) Increase access to obstetric health services for women, including prenatal and postnatal services, on all atolls and islands of the State party, in particular for rural women, by ensuring effective access to universal health insurance and by increasing the number of skilled health-care personnel;
(c) Ensure age-appropriate education on sexual and reproductive health and rights, including information about available contraceptive methods and family planning, in order to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and early pregnancies and remove restrictions applied in practice by health-care personnel to unmarried girls;
(d) Collect data and conduct research on the prevalence of unsafe and illegal abortions, disaggregated by age and geographical location. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 39 |
The State party should develop positive measures to ensure that women equally benefit from all social schemes in place in the State party, and, in particular, increase the participation of women, including self employed women, in the retirement pension scheme. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 41 |
The State party should:
(a) increase the authority, mandate and capacity of the Island Women’s Development Committees and provide them with adequate resources, including the reinstatement of allowances for their members, to enable them to become operational and effectively discharge their mandate in advising island councils on the integration of a gender perspective in all development plans and policies at the island level, and establish coordinating mechanisms between the Committees and the island councils;
(b) ensure that rural women participate in decision-making processes affecting the management of natural resources at the community level, including through the Island Women’s Development Committees;
(c) adopt long-term policies to increase rural women’s access to income-generating opportunities, including through credit and loans, and to develop their entrepreneurial skills, especially in agriculture and in the fishing industry. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 43 |
The State party should ensure that women are represented and participate in decision-making and policy making regarding plans and policies aimed at disaster management and in response to the impact of climate change. The Committee recommends that the State party promote gender equality as an explicit component of such plans and policies and ensure that women, in particular rural women, are consulted in their development. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 45 |
The State party should:
(a) As a matter of urgency, decriminalize and abolish the imposition of flogging as a sentence for consensual sexual relations outside marriage, as recommended by the Committee in its previous concluding observations (CEDAW/C/MDV/CO/3, para. 34);
(b) Ensure that, in exceptional cases of marriage of persons under 18 years of age, the age limit is set at 16 years and court authorization is required in all such cases, in accordance with joint general recommendation No. 31 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women/general comment No. 18 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on harmful practices;
(c) Take steps to facilitate the procedure to register marriages in rural and remote areas and enforce the mandatory registration of all marriages, including through sanctions;
(d) Take measures to discourage polygamy with a view to prohibiting it, in accordance with joint general recommendation No. 31 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women/general comment No. 18 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on harmful practices;
(e) Expedite the adoption of the proposed amendments to the Family Act and include guarantees to equal distribution of marital property upon divorce, in line with article 16 (1) of the Convention and the Committee’s general recommendation No. 29 on the economic consequences of marriage, family relations and their dissolution. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 47 |
The State party should give priority to the systematic collection of comprehensive sex-disaggregated data and measurable indicators to assess trends in the situation of women and the progress made in achieving substantive equality, and draws its attention to the Committee’s general recommendation No. 9 on statistical data concerning the situation of women. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 48 |
The State party should use the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in its efforts to implement the provisions of the Convention. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 49 |
The integration of a gender perspective, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention, into all efforts aimed at the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and into the post-2015 development framework. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 50 |
The State party should systematically and continuously implement the provisions of the Convention. It urges the State party to give priority attention to the implementation of the present concluding observations and recommendations between now and the submission of the next periodic report. The Committee therefore requests that the present concluding observations be disseminated in a timely manner, in the official language of the State party, to the relevant State institutions at all levels (national, regional and local), in particular to the Government, the ministries, the People’s Majlis and the judiciary, to enable their full implementation. It encourages the State party to collaborate with all stakeholders concerned, such as employers’ associations, trade unions, human rights and women’s organizations, universities, research institutions and the media. It recommends that the present concluding observations be disseminated in an appropriate form at the local community level to enable their implementation. In addition, the Committee requests the State party to continue to disseminate the Convention, the Optional Protocol thereto and relevant jurisprudence, in addition to the Committee’s general recommendations, to all stakeholders. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 51 |
The State party should link the implementation of the Convention to its development efforts and that it avail itself of regional or international technical assistance in this respect |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 52 |
The adherence of the State party to the nine major international human rights instruments would enhance the enjoyment by women of their human rights and fundamental freedoms in all aspects of life. The Committee therefore encourages the State party to expedite the ratification of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which it has signed but not yet ratified |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 53 |
The State party is requested to provide, within two years, written information on the steps taken to implement the recommendations contained in paragraphs 9, 13 (a)-(c) and 45 (a) above |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 54 |
The State party should submit its sixth periodic report in March 2019. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| CEDAW - 55 |
The State party should follow the harmonized guidelines on reporting under the international human rights treaties, including guidelines on a common core document and treaty-specific documents (HRI/GEN/2/Rev.6, chap. I). |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-7 |
The Committee welcomes the international support for the Sustainable Development Goals and calls for the realization of de jure (legal) and de facto (substantive) gender equality, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention, throughout the process of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Committee recalls the importance of Goal 5 and of the mainstreaming of the principles of equality and non-discrimination throughout all 17 Goals. It urges the State party to recognize women as the driving force of the sustainable development of the State party and to adopt relevant policies and strategies to that effect. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-8 |
The Committee stresses the crucial role of the legislative power in ensuring the full implementation of the Convention (see A/65/38, part two, annex VI). It invites the People’s Majlis, in line with its mandate, to take the necessary steps regarding the implementation of the present concluding observations between now and the submission of the next periodic report under the Convention. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-10(a) |
Implement institutional, legislative and policy measures to redress long-standing inequalities between women and men and to give a new impetus to the achievement of gender equality by placing women at the centre of the recovery as a strategic priority for sustainable change, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-10(b) |
Ensure that, in the context of lockdown measures, whether partial or total, and in post-crisis recovery plans, women and girls are not relegated to stereotypical gender roles |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-10(c) |
Ensure the equal participation of women and girls in political and public life, decision-making, economic empowerment and service delivery, in particular in the design and implementation of recovery programmes, including for disadvantaged and marginalized groups of women and those living in the outer islands |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-14(a) |
Fully incorporate the Convention into the national legal system in order to make its provisions directly applicable and enforceable by the courts |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-14(b) |
Ensure that the Gender Equality Act includes a definition of discrimination, in conformity with articles 1 and 2 of the Convention, encompassing not only direct and indirect discrimination in the public and private spheres, but also intersecting forms of discrimination |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-16.d) |
16.d) Provide systematic training to judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, especially the police, and lawyers on women’s rights and ensure that the Convention, the Committee’s general recommendations and its jurisprudence under the Optional Protocol are sufficiently known and applied by the judiciary and that they are an integral part of all capacity-building programmes |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-38 |
38. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Provide financial support to women and girls, especially in rural areas and on remote islands, to increase their access to secondary and higher education as well as technical and vocational training |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-36(b) |
36.(b) Intensify efforts to increase enrolment, retention and completion rates for women and girls in higher education and, to this end, ensure the provision of a free education scheme for female degree students, so as to retain them in higher education and achieve gender parity in graduate output |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-36.(c) |
36.(c) Encourage women and girls to choose non-traditional fields of education and career paths, in particular science, technology, engineering and maths and information and communications technology |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-36.(d) |
36.(d) Foster the retention and advancement of girls and women from disadvantaged groups in an inclusive education system |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-41 |
40. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Amend the Employment Act to apply the public sector policy on maternity and paternity leave to the private sector |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-40.(b) |
40.(b) Promote the equal sharing of family and domestic responsibilities between women and men, increase the number of affordable childcare facilities across the State party, and introduce flexible working arrangements for both women and men |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-40.(d) |
40.(d) Extend the coverage of labour legislation and social protection, such as minimum wages, paid leave and maternity leave, to women in the informal economy and self-employed women |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-40.(e) |
40.(e) Strengthen awareness among employers and women employees about the provisions of the Employment Act, in particular on sexual harassment, and the remedies available for women to claim their rights |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-16.(a) |
Enhance women’s awareness of their rights and disseminate information on the remedies available to claim violations of their rights |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-16.(b) |
Strengthen the independence of the judiciary; establish legal remedies, including procedural accommodations, that are expeditious and accessible to women; and ensure through adequate regulations and procedures that women who report violations, especially in cases of gender-based violence, are treated in a gender-sensitive manner at all stages of judicial proceedings |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-16.(e) |
Expedite the adoption of the pending bills aimed at strengthening the State party’s administration of justice, in particular the bills on witness protection, evidence and legal aid and those amending the judicature, remove evidentiary requirements that discriminate against women, and ensure that equal consideration and weight are given to women’s testimonies as witnesses |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-18.(a) |
Expedite the adoption of the Gender Equality Action Plan and of regulations establishing a reporting mechanism and gender focal points in all ministries and departments |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-18.(b) |
Ensure that the National Women’s Machinery within the Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services has adequate human and financial resources to carry out its mandate throughout the State party’s territory, including the outer islands; effectively coordinate gender mainstreaming at all levels; and enable the National Women’s Machinery to provide systematic training to staff and officials of other ministries |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-18.(c) |
Involve members of the Women’s Development Committees and Island Councils in capacity-building on gender and women’s empowerment to support the work of the Women’s Machinery, especially in the outer atolls |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-18.(d) |
Establish impact assessment mechanisms for the Gender Equality Action Plan and ensure that it is adequately monitored and evaluated, with a view to informing further policies |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-20 |
The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that the Human Rights Commission has adequate human, technical and financial resources to discharge its mandate to work on women’s rights, in accordance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles). |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-22.(a) |
Prevent reprisals against women human rights defenders, ensure their protection from violence and intimidation, and investigate, prosecute and adequately punish all threats and harassment against them |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-22.(b) |
Guarantee that women human rights defenders and activists can freely carry out their advocacy for women’s human rights and exercise their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, without harassment, surveillance or other undue restrictions |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-22.(c) |
Expedite the adoption of the bill on associations as well as the bill criminalizing hate speech |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-26.(a) |
Strengthen awareness-raising on gender equality and women’s rights among journalists and integrate women’s rights into the curriculum of professional training for teachers, medical professionals, lawyers, the police, the judiciary and media workers |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-14 (c) |
14 (c) Expedite the reform of its family law, with a view to bringing it into full conformity with the Convention and ensuring that all discriminatory provisions are repealed or amended, ensuring that women are involved in the consultation and review process |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-26.(b) |
Address the rising phenomenon of black magic and “ruqya” as key public health concerns as well as a safety and security concern affecting women and girls and prevent and protect women and girls from the risk of sexual violence linked to such practices |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-52.(b) |
52.(b) Modify its legislation and policies in order to eliminate the forced sterilization of persons in the State Party and ensure the full and informed consent of all persons to all medical procedures |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-54. |
54. Recalling its previous concluding observations (CEDAW/C/MDV/CO/4-5, para. 45), the Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) As a matter of urgency, decriminalize, and abolish the imposition of flogging or the death penalty for, consensual sexual relations outside marriage |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-54.(b) |
54. (b) Amend legislation to ensure that survivors of sexual violence are not prosecuted for sexual relations outside marriage if they press charges that later cannot be proved |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-54.(c) |
54. (c) Develop a centralized civil register and enforce the mandatory registration of all marriages, including through sanctions |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-26.(c) |
Publicly condemn expressions of hostility against, and the perpetuation of harmful gender stereotypes of, women and girls, including by religious figures or when “justified” with reference to religious belief, and instead express active support for gender equality |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-54.(e) |
54. (e) Adopt legislation to ensure that men and women have equal rights in divorce, including equal grounds and procedures for obtaining a divorce, as well as equal distribution of marital property upon divorce, including land, in line with the Committee’s general recommendation No. 29 (2013) on the economic consequences of marriage, family relations and their dissolution |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-12. |
12. The Committee reiterates its previous recommendation (CEDAW/C/MDV/CO/4-5, para. 9) and urges the State party to expedite its efforts towards withdrawing its reservations to article 16 (1) (a), (c), (d) and (f) of the Convention, which are incompatible with the object and purpose of the Convention and constitute an obstacle to the implementation of the Convention as a whole, as the Committee stated in its general recommendations No. 21 (1994) on equality in marriage and family relations and No. 29 (2013) on the economic consequences of marriage, family relations and their dissolution. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-16.(c) |
16.(c) Take measures to increase the representation of women in the judiciary, in particular as judges and court officials |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-24 |
24. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt temporary special measures, in line with article 4 (1) of the Convention and general recommendation No. 25 (2004) on temporary special measures, including statutory quotas, and establish time-bound targets to accelerate the realization of substantive equality between women and men in all areas in which women are underrepresented or disadvantaged. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021- 26.(d) |
Combat all forms of violence and coercion perpetrated against women and girls “justified” with reference to religious practice or belief, ensure the personal safety and liberty of women and girls, hold accountable perpetrators of such violence and ensure that victims obtain redress |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-34.(c) |
34.(c) Amend the Parliamentary Elections Act (Act No. 2/2009) to introduce statutory quotas for women candidates |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-34.(d) |
34.(d) Adopt temporary special measures to increase women’s representation in political posts and on boards of State-owned companies |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-40.(c) |
40.(c) Introduce specific measures to promote the inclusion of women in private sector tourism employment and in the marine economy |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-28.(a) |
Amend section 52 of the Sexual Offences Act and section 47 of the Special Provisions Act to Deal with Child Sex Abuse Offenders to remove excessive evidence requirements for victims to prove sexual violence; |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-30 |
30. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Strengthen victim identification procedures to facilitate prompt identification of potential victims of human trafficking and exploitation, including capacity-building among law enforcement and border patrol officers |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-30.(b) |
30. (b) Ensure the investigation of all cases of human trafficking and exploitation, as well as the prosecution and punishment of trafficking offenders |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-30.(c) |
30. (c) Ensure that victims are provided with medical treatment, psychosocial support, interpretation services and legal assistance |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-30.(d) |
30. (d) Systematically collect information on trafficking in women and girls to, from and within the State party and strengthen cooperation with other countries in the region to facilitate the exchange of information and the prosecution of traffickers |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-32 |
32. Recalling its previous concluding observations (CEDAW/C/MDV/CO/4-5, para. 27), the Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Collect disaggregated statistical data on the extent of prostitution in the State party and undertake a study to assess the root causes of the phenomenon, giving particular attention to risk factors linked to the tourism sector and migration |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021 - 28.(b) |
Amend section 53 of the Sexual Offences Act to ensure that discriminatory gender stereotypes relating to delayed reporting, false accusations and women’s “dignity and discipline” are removed from the adjudication of sexual violence cases and discontinue practices that contribute to secondary victimization of women, such as examining a victim’s prior sexual behaviour |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-32(b) |
32.(b) Develop measures aimed at preventing the exploitation through prostitution of women and girls, including migrant women, and provide rehabilitation programmes for women and girls in prostitution, including shelters, exit programmes for women who wish to leave prostitution and alternative income-generating opportunities |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021 - 28.(c) |
Criminalize female genital mutilation/cutting and provide education and information on the criminal nature and harmful effects of the practice, take proactive measures to protect women and girls from female genital mutilation/cutting, and prosecute clerics promoting the practice |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-32.(c) |
32.(c) Address the root causes contributing to the exploitation of girls and young women in prostitution, including domestic violence, lack of access to secondary education and poverty, especially in the outer islands |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-36. |
36. The Committee recommends that the State party revise its nationality law in order to remove discrimination against women with regard to the transmission of nationality, and that it improve mechanisms for the identification and protection of stateless women and girls, including through access to transparent and effective asylum procedures |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021 - 28.(d) |
Criminalize marital rape in all circumstances, without exception, and amend the Sexual Offences Act and the Penal Code accordingly |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-57 |
57. The Committee calls upon the State party to use the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and to further evaluate the realization of the rights enshrined in the Convention in the context of the 25-year review of the implementation of the Declaration and Platform in order to achieve substantive equality between women and men |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-60 |
60. The Committee notes that the adherence of the State party to the nine major international human rights instruments would enhance the enjoyment by women of their human rights and fundamental freedoms in all aspects of life. The Committee therefore encourages the State party to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, to which it is not yet a party |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021 - 28.(e) |
Strengthen referral mechanisms to avoid communication gaps in reporting and ensure that judges, prosecutors and the police are adequately trained in gender-sensitive investigation and interrogation methods, especially in cases of sexual violence |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-61 |
61. The Committee requests the State party to provide, within two years, written information on the steps taken to implement the recommendations contained in paragraphs 28 (a), (b) and (i) and 54 (e) above. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-28.(f) |
Allocate sufficient funding to shelters, which must be accessible; establish guidelines and mechanisms to monitor them; and provide adequate support services, rehabilitation and remedies to survivors of gender-based violence, as per the Domestic Violence Prevention Act |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021- 28.(g) |
Initiate, without delay, the nationwide survey on the prevalence of domestic violence in the State party, including gender-based violence, scheduled to commence in 2022, and use it as a basis for policymaking |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021 - 28.(h) |
Extend the National Campaign to raise awareness on gender-based violence and domestic violence; include awareness of online gender-based violence; and collect and publish statistical data on all forms of sexual violence, including marital rape, disaggregating the data by the victims’ sex, the victims’ age, the relationship between the victims and the perpetrator, and in relation to intersecting forms of discrimination against women and other relevant sociodemographic characteristics, such as disability and nationality |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-10 (d) |
10 (d) Ensure that women and girls benefit equally from stimulus packages, including financial support for unpaid care work, aimed at mitigating the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021 - 28.(i) |
Review its current legislation, including the Penal Code and the law on domestic violence, to ensure that domestic violence is specifically criminalized, can be prosecuted ex officio and is sanctioned with appropriate penalties commensurate with the gravity of the abuse |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-42 |
42. The Committee recommends that the State party develop and implement policies and programmes for the economic empowerment of women and to this end:
(a) Establish the legal and operational framework to increase women’s participation in entrepreneurship and assist women in finding a suitable market for their products domestically, in protecting their intellectual property and in navigating the export procedure for their products |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-42.(b) |
42.(b) Provide adequate support for women’s entrepreneurship by facilitating their access to income-generating opportunities and financial credit, including low-interest loans without collateral, land, equipment and machinery |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021- 34.(a) |
Fulfil the commitment it made at the dialogue to make the necessary legislative amendments to establish quotas for women within political parties’ internal elections, to introduce targeted campaign financing and training on leadership skills for women candidates, and to ensure equal access to the media to promote women’s equal participation in political life, as reflected in the Gender Equality Action Plan |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021 - 34.(b) |
Amend the Political Parties Act (Act No. 4/2013) to include provisions to improve the internal governance of political parties and ensure equal representation of women in decision-making and leadership positions |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021 - 48 |
In line with its general recommendation No. 37 (2018) on the gender-related dimensions of disaster risk reduction in the context of climate change, the Committee recommends that the State party ensure that women are represented and participate in the development of legislation, policies and programmes on climate change, disaster response and disaster risk reduction. It also recommends that the State party integrate a gender perspective into such plans and policies and ensure that women, in particular rural women, are consulted as part of their development. It further recommends that the State party take measures to address the impact of climate change specifically on women’s access to resources and livelihoods, so as to ensure that they are not disproportionately affected |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021 - 50.(a) |
In line with its general recommendation No. 34 (2016) on the rights of rural women and target 5.a of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the effective participation of rural women in planning and decision-making on natural resource management |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-50.(b) |
In line with its general recommendation No. 34 (2016) on the rights of rural women and target 5.a of the Sustainable Development Goals ensure that long-term land lease projects do not undermine the rights of rural women and their livelihoods, and guarantee that such projects are permitted only after consultations and decision-making processes involving rural women |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-42.(c) |
42.(c) Ensure the dissemination of information on the available loan schemes and income support, especially on allocated quotas, and proper guidance on and assistance with applying for loans and income support, especially for women in the outer islands |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-56 |
The Committee calls upon the State party to give priority to the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics and to the systematic collection of comprehensive sex-disaggregated data and measurable indicators to assess trends in the situation of women and the progress made in achieving substantive equality, and draws the State party’s attention to the Committee’s general recommendation No. 9 (1989) on statistical data concerning the situation of women. |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-42.(d) |
42.(d) Ensure access for women who are self-employed or employed in the informal sector to childcare allowances and affordable and quality care services for children and sick and elderly family members, in order to reduce the unpaid care work performed by women and develop social protection schemes for these women, such as a pension |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-44 |
44. The Committee recommends that the State party carry out a gender impact analysis of the tax reforms and develop and implement policies and programmes based on the findings of the study that promote and safeguard the human rights of women and take into account the impact of these tax reforms on women, especially single-women-headed households and women living in poverty |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-59 |
The Committee recommends that the State party link the implementation of the Convention to its development efforts and that it avail itself of regional or international technical assistance in this respect |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-46 |
46. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Increase women’s and girl’s access to health-care services, in particular sexual and reproductive health services, including emergency obstetrics services, on all atolls and islands of the State party, in particular for women living on outer islands |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-46.(b) |
46.(b) Ensure the accountability of health-care personnel for discrimination against women and girls seeking access to sexual and reproductive health services |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-46.(c) |
46.(c) Ensure age-appropriate education on sexual and reproductive health and rights, including information about available contraceptive methods and family planning |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-46.(d) |
46.(d) Collect data and conduct research on the prevalence of unsafe and illegal abortions in the State party, disaggregated by age and geographical location, amend legislation in order to decriminalize abortion in all cases, and ensure access to safe abortion services and post-abortion care |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-46.(e) |
46.(e) Provide effective access for women to obstetrics services, including emergency obstetrics services, thus avoiding the need for women to resort to caesarean births if they so wish |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-46.(f) |
46.(f) Ensure that women with disabilities have access to health care by ensuring the accessibility of sexual and reproductive health services, including by providing accessible mammography machines and hydraulic gynaecological examination beds |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-52 |
52. The Committee recommends that the State Party:
(a) Adopt all necessary measures, including temporary special measures, to combat the intersectional discrimination that disadvantaged groups of women encounter, such as migrant women, women with disabilities, lesbian, bisexual and transgender women and intersex persons, and women professing religions other than Islam, in relation to all aspects covered by the Convention |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-54.(d) |
54. (d) Prohibit polygamy and raise awareness about its harmful effects on women, in line with the Committee’s general recommendation No. 21 (1994) and joint general recommendation No. 31 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women / joint general comment No. 18 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (2014) on harmful practices. Ensure the protection of the economic rights of women in existing polygamous marriages |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |
| 2021-58. |
58. The Committee requests the State party to ensure the timely dissemination of the present concluding observations, in the de facto official languages of the State party, to the relevant State institutions at all levels (national, regional and local), in particular to the Government, the People’s Majlis and the judiciary, to enable their full implementation |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women |