3. The number of men with disabilities is slightly higher than that of women. The 2002 survey showed disability among males (4,902) is slightly higher than females (4,314) (MGFDSS 2002). Census 2000 data also confirmed that disability is more common among males with 1.90 percent of the male population identified as experiencing disabilities whilst of the female population, 1.59 percent identified as having disabilities (Velezine 2001). 4. There is no conclusive data on different types of disabilities in the Maldives. In the 2002 survey, 3,062 persons reported having visual disability, while 2,640 persons reported speech disability and 2,560 persons reported mental health disability (MGFDSS 2002). However, the most common form of disability identified in the Census 2000 for both sexes is mental illness (Velezine 2001). 5. The Maldives signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on 02 October 2007 (UnitedNations 2009). On 06 January 2010, the President’s Office submitted the relevant ratification instrument to Parliament. The Parliament approved ratification of CRPD on 03 March 2010. The Maldives lodged its instrument of ratification of the CRPD on 05 April 2010 and became the 85th United Nations Member State to formally accept the obligations contained in the Convention. The CRPD entered into force on 03 May 2008, after the Convention received the 20th ACTIVITIES ADDRESSING RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ratification. ... 8 6. The Maldives is a member of the 2002 Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific (BMF). The Maldives also has international commitments under the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993. 7. The Constitution of the Maldives protects the rights of persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities have the same set of rights, obligations and opportunities that other Maldivians have. According to Article 17 of the Constitution of the Maldives, everyone including those with mental or physical disability is entitled to the rights and freedoms included in the Constitution without discrimination of any kind (Hussain 2008). Article 35 (b) of the Constitution states that elderly and disadvantaged persons are entitled to protection and special assistance from the family, the community and the State.