President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has called for the empowerment of girls as central figures in the Maldives' digital future.
In a message marking International Girls in ICT Day, the President highlighted this year's theme, "AI for Development: Girls shaping the digital future," noting its direct alignment with the administration's national technology priorities. He emphasised that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a crucial enabler for enhancing efficiency across the vital sectors of governance, education, and healthcare.
President Dr Muizzu underscored that the active involvement of girls in AI development is not merely a matter of representation, but a necessity for social equity — critical in mitigating gender bias and ensuring that emerging technologies remain inclusive for all.
Through the Maldives 2.0 Digital Transformation initiative, the government is working to eliminate systemic barriers and build a digital economy where girls can thrive as leaders and innovators in the ICT sector, including in fields where women remain underrepresented, such as robotics, AI, and computer programming.
The President stressed that for the Maldives to achieve this, AI development must prioritise bridging the gender digital divide — empowering girls to move beyond being consumers of technology to becoming creators of technology.
Concluding his message, President Dr Muizzu called on the international community to work collaboratively to advance AI for the development of girls, and expressed his vision for a world where every girl has the opportunity to shape and lead the global digital transformation.