First Lady Sajidha Mohamed has said empowering women is fundamental to nation-building, development, and strengthening families and society.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the ‘Viluntheri Kanbalun’ training programme, she stressed the importance of creating more opportunities for women to participate meaningfully in all areas of national development.

The First Lady highlighted the resilience, skills and contributions of Maldivian women, noting that these qualities will remain essential to the country’s progress. She also emphasised the importance of preserving cultural values while strengthening women’s intellectual and practical capabilities.

At the ceremony, she presented certificates to more than 170 graduates from eight batches of the programme.

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