Female officers have been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel for the first time in the history of Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).
During a function held on January 25, three female officers who were ranked as Majors were promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. They are Lieutenant Colonel Hawwa Sheneen, Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Fathimath Thahuseena and Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Aminath Shumra. This was the first time female officers were promoted to this rank in MNDF.
Following the promotion of three female officers to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said this was a historic moment for the Maldivian military. He said it shows equal opportunities are being provided in MNDF, and resembles the important efforts undertaken to eliminate gender-based discrimination.
From the three officers promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, Hawwa Sheneen is the Chief Executive Officer of MNDF’s welfare corporation SIFCO. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonels Dr. Fathimath Thahuseena and Dr. Aminath Shumra are Deputy Commanding Officers at the military hospital Senahiya.