In the Maldives, many working-class women are being asked to do two full-time jobs at once: paid work in the economy, and unpaid care work at home. They are expected to earn, remain independent, support career growth, raise children well, manage the household, and somehow do all of it without exhaustion. That is not a personal failure. It is a structural problem. UNICEF’s 2025 situation analysis shows a large gender gap in labour force participation in the Maldives, with male participation at 89 percent and female participation at 53 percent.
The deeper issue is not whether women should work. Of course they should be able to contribute to the economy, build careers, and have financial independence. The real question is whether the country is willing to support women so they can do that without sacrificing the time children need in their earliest years. That matters because early childhood development is not optional family “extra” work. It is nation-building.
There are already warning signs. UNICEF reports that 76 percent of Maldivian parents or caregivers of children aged 0 to 5 said their children spend time online on a smartphone, and 78 percent said they were worried or very worried about too much screen time. The same report found that 32 percent of parents had at some point been concerned that their child had a developmental delay, with many concerns focused on language, learning, and social or emotional development.
This does not mean screens alone are the whole problem. The evidence is more precise than that. The World Health Organization says children under five need less screen-based sedentary time, and more active play and sleep. A major review in JAMA Pediatrics found that passive viewing and background television were associated with poorer cognitive outcomes, while caregiver screen use during child routines was associated with poorer psychosocial outcomes. It also found that co-viewing, where an adult is present and engaged, was linked to better cognitive outcomes. In simple terms, what matters is not only the device, but what it replaces, conversation, play, attention, and responsive care. (World Health Organization)
Maldives law still places most of this burden on mothers. The Employment Act provides 60 days of paid maternity leave, two paid 30-minute breaks a day to attend to the child until the child turns two, and up to one year of unpaid leave for either parent after maternity leave. But fathers are entitled to only three days of paid paternity leave. That is too little if the country is serious about shared caregiving.
This is why the answer is not to tell women to choose between empowerment and motherhood. That is a false choice. The answer is policy. The state should give families more time, stronger parental leave, more flexible work arrangements, and practical support for caregiving. Men should also carry an equal share of family care. If a woman gives up income or career progression to raise children, that work should not be treated as invisible. It is productive social labour. It builds the next generation.
That is the principle the Maldives should adopt: give to gain. Give families time, and the country gains healthier children. Give parents support, and the country gains stronger communities. Give value to caregiving, and the country gains a better future.
