her recent visit to Rodrigues Island, she will state the purposes and key outcomes thereof, indicating the m…
(No. B/869) Ms M. R. Collet (First Member for Rodrigues) asked the Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare whether, in regard to her recent visit to Rodrigues Island, she will state the purposes and key outcomes thereof, indicating the mechanisms and plans, if any, being established with the collaboration of the Rodrigues Regional Assembly to ensure that regional policies on gender and family welfare are effectively aligned with the national legislative frameworks.
Reply: I wish to inform the House that I led a high-level delegation to Rodrigues from 22 to 23 September 2025, in the context of the handing over of the Gender Policy for Rodrigues to the Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and others. The Ambassador of the European Union to Mauritius and Seychelles also participated in the visit. In the margins of the ceremony, I had the opportunity to pay courtesy visits on the Chief Commissioner and the Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and Others, respectively, on the first day of the mission, where we engaged in fruitful discussions on strategic actions to
151 promote gender equality, children’s rights and family welfare in the local Rodrigues context. We also shared experiences on reporting and monitoring of gender-based violence cases and discussed areas of collaboration to improve service delivery. I also had the opportunity to attend a consultative meeting with representatives of the Commission for Women’s Affairs and Others and the Police Department on Child Day Care Centres (CDCCs) in Rodrigues. The Regulations governing CDCCs in Mauritius are under review to address operational challenges related to licensing and enforcement. A working session on the draft Domestic Abuse Bill and the draft Adoption Bill was also organised. I also met the Minority Leader of the Rodrigues Regional Assembly. I specifically requested this meeting dans le but d’avoir le point de vue de tout le monde à Rodrigues, ensuring that no voice is left unheard. During our informal meeting, she raised several important concerns with regard to gender and children. This meeting was part of our wider objective to ensure comprehensive consultation in Rodrigues. I also participated in an interactive session with women entrepreneurs from Rodrigues, organised by the National Women’s Entrepreneur Council, which will collaborate closely with these businesswomen to extend capacity-building programmes aimed at enhancing, improving, and diversifying their enterprises and sharing best practices. SAINT-JEAN CEMETERY – DAMAGED TOMBS – NOVEMBER 2023 FLOODS