Government Launches Grant Scheme to Combat Gender-Based Violence and Support Elderly Care

The Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare has announced a new funding initiative to provide financial and technical support to organisations dedicated to promoting gender equality and addressing critical social issues across the Maldives. Supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) through the 'Strengthening Gender Inclusive Initiatives' project, the grant scheme targets civil society organisations and local councils. The initiative is designed to facilitate projects developed in collaboration with city and island councils, as well as Women’s Development Committees, ensuring alignment with the National Action Plan for Gender Equality (2022–2026) and the National Policy on Older Persons (2025–2028). A primary focus of the funding is the prevention of domestic and gender-based violence. The ministry aims to boost public awareness, encourage greater participation from men in prevention efforts, and enhance community reporting and response systems. Additionally, grants will be allocated to strengthen shelters, improve victim support services, and fund essential research and advocacy regarding victims' rights. Beyond gender equality, the programme emphasizes the wellbeing of senior citizens by supporting community-based elderly care initiatives. While projects targeting the elderly will be implemented nationwide, gender-based violence initiatives will specifically focus on Male’ City, Addu City, and Raa Atoll. Financial assistance is tiered based on the project's scope. For initiatives combating domestic violence and gender inequality, individual organisations can apply for up to USD 50,000, while partnership projects are eligible for up to USD 75,000. For elderly welfare programmes, grants will range from USD 40,000 for individual organisations to USD 60,000 for collaborative partnerships. This strategic investment represents a concerted effort to decentralize social support and empower local communities to tackle systemic violence and age-related vulnerability through sustainable, community-led interventions.