As the world marks International Women’s Day, discussions continue on the need for greater empowerment and the challenges women face in different fields.

In the Maldives, a panel discussion was held to address these issues, bringing together women from diverse industries to share their experiences and insights.

The event featured Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) CEO Aminath Suzan, who spoke about the difficulties women face in the tourism sector. She highlighted that only around five per cent of employees in the Maldivian tourism industry are women, despite the sector being a major contributor to the economy.

Suzan noted that, while this percentage is higher than in some other parts of the world, it remains significantly lower than the Asia-Pacific region, where 55 per cent of employees are women, though few hold leadership or decision-making roles. She attributed this disparity largely to societal attitudes and stereotypes that discourage women from working in tourism.

She further emphasised that tourism is not limited to resort jobs and that many different career paths contribute to the industry, including the travel sector, arts, music, and local crafts sold in resorts.

Addressing challenges in the social sector, Family Protection Authority CEO, Aminath Shirani Naeem, stated that public perception often limits understanding of career opportunities in the field.

While many associate it solely with social work, she stressed that the sector is vast, encompassing roles in law, training and awareness programs, law enforcement, healthcare, psychiatry, and first response services.

Shirani pointed out that many avoid social work due to the emotional demands, media attention, and time commitment involved, but reiterated that the field offers diverse and rewarding career paths beyond traditional social work.

The panel also discussed challenges women face in sports and concerns raised by NGOs regarding gender barriers in various industries.