On 13 February, the Asian Population and Development Association (APDA) and the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD), in collaboration with the Parliament of the Maldives, held a parliamentary meeting focusing on community empowerment on Gulhi Island, Maldives. The meeting featured practical programmes addressing youth career development, digital literacy, the economic and legal empowerment of women, and the strengthening of family and community cohesion.

The programme was designed to respond to key challenges facing Maldivian society, including high NEET rates, low female labor force participation, and gaps in family communication. Participants engaged in experience-sharing sessions led by women entrepreneurs and youth, and acquired practical skills such as developing concrete career plans and gaining foundational knowledge and practical skills for entrepreneurship. The meeting also marked an important step toward strengthening intergenerational collaboration and advancing community empowerment.

This meeting was implemented with the support of the Japan Trust Fund (JTF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).