campaigns encouraging women to get involved in politics and running for public offices are limited. Likewise, Maldivians lack adequate family and societal support thereby creating unsupportive working conditions for women. Maldives has so far failed to establish child care centres that would support working mothers, and has not introduced legislative quotas and programs to ensure equal representation for women to accommodate a comprehensive approach towards addressing the issue of advancement for women’s rights. 12. The State should introduce legislative quotas and create awareness programs targeting all spheres of society with regard to women’s equal participation in politics. It should also facilitate forums and dissemination of information to empower women running for public offices. In addition, the State should create an adequate financial and institutional support system for all working mothers, including those running for public offices. Prevalence of Violence against Women (VAW) 14. In 2006, the study on Women’s Health and Life Experiences1, recorded that every one in three women between the ages of 15 and 49 years reported some form of physical or sexual violence at least once in their lives2. The study also revealed that one in five women between the ages of 15 and 49 years reported physical or sexual violence by a partner, and one in nine reported experiencing severe violence. The same study identifies that one in six women in the capital Male’, and one in eight women within the nation reported experiencing childhood sexual abuse under the age of 15 years. Of those women between the ages of 15 and 49 years who had been pregnant, 6 percent reported subjected to physical or sexual abuse during pregnancy. The survey further reported that many respondents’ perceived women to be subordinate to men, and that men used religion to justify restrictions and actions pertaining to VAW. Chapter: Article 3: Equal Rights of Men and Women 13. Violence against women continues to occur at a significant level in Maldives. In April, 2012, Maldives ratified the Domestic Violence Act which is an outstanding milestone achieved to overcome violence against women. Article 2 of the Act, states that the objectives of the law is to declare all acts of domestic violence as punishable crimes, giving protection to victims of domestic violence and providing due justice in a timely manner that is of least financial burden to victims of domestic violence. Physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal and psychological abuse, financial or economic restrictions, deliberate impregnation despite medical advice or , deliberate impregnation to restrict freedom from seeking divorce in an abusive marriage, deliberately withholding property of the victim, intimidation, harassment and stalking are some of the offences punishable under the Act. 10