It is extraordinary that most of the questions regarding attitudes towards equal rights for women are yielding a high rate of non-response (more than 80%) in comparison to all the other questions of this survey. As a result, it was not possible to arrive at any conclusions based on the relatively few numbers of participants who responded to the questions. (ref to annex B for details) It is concerning that a significant number of participants have not responded to these questions on equal rights for women specifically, mandating further investigation into the reasons for the high non-response rate. Thus, this chapter outlines only the outcomes of questions that the participants responded to. RIGHT TO CHOOSE A PARTNER In order to understand what people thought about the autonomy of men and women to choose their life partners and when to get married, the survey asked the participants if they believed men and women should have the right to choose the person they want to marry and when to do so. There was overwhelming support for the right of men to exercise their autonomy in choosing a life partner and when to get married with 84.1% of the respondents responding positively. This is a more positive response to this question than in 2011 with 76.6% of the respondents agreeing that men and women should have equal rights to choose a partner. There were no significant differences between the responses from men and women, but it is seen that people living in urban areas (87.2%) agreed more readily than those from outer islands (82.2%). Table 86: Autonomy on choosing a life partner, by gender Yes No RF DK/NA Total 84.11% 10.45% 1.27% 4.18% Male 78.65% 11.72% 1.82% 7.81% Female 87.24% 9.68% 0.84% 2.24% In 2011, young adults belonging to the 16-19 age group (84.0%) were the strongest proponents of this right. However, in 2019 it is those aged between 60-69 (89.1%) who appear to yield stronger support. FAMILY PLANNING Right to reproductive health and the right to reproductive self-determination are basic principles of women’s right to health enshrined in the CEDAW and other human rights conventions. The 2016 research conducted by HRCM on the Right to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights indicate most youth do not have access to reliable information on reproductive health16. There was overwhelmingly strong support for husbands and wives to have access to birth control measures (91.2%) and this support is strongest among women (94.0%). This finding is synonymous with that of 2011 (89.3%). Interestingly, more people living in urban region were in support of access to birth control measures for women. Table 87: Women to have access to birth control measures, region Yes Outer islands 88.95% Urban Total No RF DK/NA 3.83% 1.47% 5.74% 94.79% 3.79% 0.00% 1.42% 91.19% 3.81% 0.91% 4.09% However, it is to be noted that 69.1% of migrant workers were in favour of equal rights to access to birth control measures ABORTION The 2011 UNFPA study on Reproductive Health Knowledge and Behaviour of Young Unmarried Women indicated the prevalence of risky sexual and reproductive health behaviour among unmarried young women17. Additionally, the 2008 study on the Sociocultural Factors and Unsafe Abortions in the Maldives conducted by the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) also reported on the prevalence of pregnancy and unsafe abortions among unmarried youth18. In order to understand perceptions around abortion, three inquiries were made in this survey. Most people reported having never known a woman who has had an abortion (68.9%). 16 17 18 http://www.hrcm.org.mv/publications/otherreports/ RightToSexualAndReproductiveHealthEducation2016. pdf https://maldives.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/ UNFPARHReport_reduced.pdf https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/44529/9789241501118_eng.pdf?sequence=1 63