Shafaa Hameed
Shafaa Hameed is a senior journalist at the Maldives Independent. She first joined the newsroom in 2015 and reported for more than four years until its closure in 2020. Before returning to journalism, she worked as a programme coordinator at the American Center Malé and later with the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) and the International Republican Institute (IRI). During her time there, she served as programme officer and later as monitoring, evaluation and learning coordinator, focusing on assessing impact and delivering training under US State Department and USAID-funded initiatives, including the Strong and Inclusive Maldivian Democracy (SIMD) programme. Shafaa rejoined the Maldives Independent in August 2025 following its relaunch.
'None of the cameras work': a National Art Gallery that cannot secure its own building
A theft exposed failures artists had been raising for years.
26 Aug, 15:27
Everyone is having fewer children. The Maldives is not special
The decline began here with women no longer dying in childbirth.
18 Aug, 16:22
Teacher, healer, protector: the surfer behind Aloha Ufaa
Saazu on surfing, healing and building a community by the sea.
17 Aug, 14:19
Minister counters cost of living claims with TikTok videos and state TV forum
War and headlines blamed for record black market dollar rate.
11 Aug, 20:20
'Not new observations': abuse of state resources, a one-sided broadcaster and normalised vote-buying
Transparency Maldives' verdict on the 4 April elections echoes previous cycles.
04 Aug, 15:07
Measles in the Maldives: what's happening and how to protect yourself
It's spreading among adults, many of whom never completed a second dose.
15 Jul, 18:20
Measles cases rise sixfold in three weeks as Maldives outbreak accelerates
It is spreading among adults who never completed a second dose.
09 Jul, 17:15
A WHO rate, unseen studies and a U-turn: Maldives makes cigarettes cheaper
From tobacco-free vows to half-price packs in 20 months.
02 Jul, 17:27
Back at the top, bound by a bargain: Nasheed and the road to 2028
His landslide settles who runs MDP, not who it runs in 2028.
15 Jun, 17:02
Twelve years on, government meets "bare minimum" on right to information
Ministries still routinely ignore the requests citizens actually file.
10 Jun, 15:14
Through the red filter: the violence women face in Maldivian politics
Online abuse, sidelined careers, captured ethics committees: an exhibition maps the system.
25 May, 15:20
"Punitive approaches to health do not work": UN Special Rapporteur Tlaleng Mofokeng on her Maldives visit
On universal coverage, the medicine shortage, mental health and drug policy.
11 May, 13:14
Sponsored silence, anonymous noise: the state of Maldivian press freedom
A parallel whistleblowing ecosystem on X is filling the vacuum.
04 May, 16:02
Q&A with Meekail Naseem, the 32-year-old pitching himself as MDP's neutral broker
On factional strife, the Nasheed switch, and the road to 2028.
29 Apr, 17:00
Inside the Adhadhu raid: qazf, seizures, and a state closing ranks
An unprecedented religious charge against a newsroom and what followed.
28 Apr, 19:05
Nothing to see here: central government lagging on right to information
Incapacity or intransigence? Why are public authorities failing to comply with RTI?
20 Apr, 17:00
"We will sense even if we cannot see"
She co-founded an NGO after being told blind people couldn't run one.
15 Apr, 14:45
MTCC's MVR 13 million taxi app: closed bids, family ties, and leaked ID cards
Developers unravelled the app's failures within hours of its launch.
09 Apr, 16:51
"No party represents me": young voters on the April 4 elections
We asked young Maldivians what it would take to bring them to the polls.
01 Apr, 16:08
"A linked chain": how Faathun helped write the Maldives' first disability plan
Built by the people it's meant to serve.
31 Mar, 17:18
