Nominations open for Maldives' Rehendhi Award; deadline set for December 2026

Nominations for the Rehendhi Award, the Maldivian government award recognising women's contributions to national development and society, have been opened effective today. The deadline for submissions is 2:00 pm on Thursday, 10 December 2026. The award is given by the government to assess at a national level the work women do across various fields in national service, as well as their role in the country's development and in building society. It also aims to protect women's rights, encourage women to step forward in different areas, and empower women. Individual women, associations and organisations, and women's development committees can compete for the award. Nominations can be made for oneself or by another party, and names may also be submitted through the local council of the city or island to which a committee belongs, or through another party. Each nomination may be submitted in one category only. Categories include leadership and governance, economic empowerment, social empowerment, and non-traditional roles — work that women do not commonly perform.