Special training on strengthening a gender-sensitive media environment in the Maldives has been completed today.

The training was conducted by Delhi Metropolitan Education (DME) in association with Addu Women's Association (AWA), and included important sessions on the role of media to empower women, unfair treatment of women in media and to eliminate gender bias in order to balance the participation of both genders. As well as

Gender Minister Dr. Aishath Mohamed Didi participated in the Valedictory Function of the workshop, which lasted a total of seven days. Honorary Consul of the Maldives to Belgium, Dr. Mariyam Shakeela participated in the training as the host from the Maldives, while Vice-Chancellor of DME Aman Sahni participated as the host from India.

Professor Ambrish Saxena and Professor Jaishri Jethwaney were the lead faculty of the workshop, and the participants included Founder of AO News Shimla Ahmed, Chairperson of One Media Group Minha Faiz, West Australian Maldivian Association Treasure Moosa Rayyan Shahid and Public Relations Expert Shaufa Hussain.

Sessions of the workshop also focused on shifting the narrative thinking of both genders to ensure gender equality, increasing equal participation of both genders in media as well as advocating for equality.

Furthermore, it also focused on topics such as journalistic ethics, laws on protecting women's rights as well as using digital media to create equal participation of the genders in media.

Speaking during the Valedictory Function, Gender Minister Aishath Mohamed Didi said that the media plays a vital role in changing the perspective of the public and that they need to prioritize gender equality in news making.

She further stated that the government gives special importance to gender equality, which was evident in the government's action plan. She revealed that there is an equality law and that the necessary guidelines and regulations have been developed which will allow them to accomplish targets regarding gender equality from the action plan.

In her speech, the Minister also highlighted that the action plan also notes the role of media in working towards gender equality and that it includes the media working together to accomplish that common goal.

Trainers who completed the workshop will also conduct special training in Male' City and Addu City. As such, trainings in Male' will begin on November 21st and be held for a period of seven days. The five-day training in Addu will begin on November 27th. 15 trainees will participate in each workshop.