The second phase of the project “Contribute to the defense, guarantee and exercise of a life free from violence against women in Maputo” has already started and will last for two years. This intervention continues the 2017-2019 program, financed by the ACCD - Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation and incorporates innovations based on the advances and lessons learned, of which the main ones include putting journalism at the service of the fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV), contribute to women's economic empowerment, strengthen the care and reintegration of women victims of violence and advocate for more resources, with a view to better responding to cases of gender based violence.
The main objective of this project is, since its inception, the construction of a more just, equitable and inclusive society that respects the human rights of women in the city of Maputo. In the past two years, different actions have been taken in order to make the elimination of GBV a political and social priority in Maputo and to incorporate a comprehensive approach to human rights and gender equality in the services, actions and programs of public and private institutions, and civil society, with a focus on generating productive opportunities for women affected.
In this new phase, medicusmundi proposes to continue the work with awareness-raising activities in the prevention and visualization of GBV, with criteria of respect for the rights of women and gender, through collaboration with the media and the association of journalists. It also foresees advocacy actions to position the fight against GBV as a State priority and thus increase the budgets allocated by the municipal and provincial governments to this matter, while continuing to sensitize the population and civil society to join efforts in this direction. Also intends to strengthen the capacities of feminist organizations that assist victims of GBV in the component of economic empowerment, in order to break the dependence that survivors have on their aggressors, and to continue to reinforce the coordination and training of organizations and institutions that work in GBV (prevention, detection, care and monitoring), based on the important results of the research carried out in the previous program on the integrated care mechanism for victims.
Mozambique occupies the 138th position in a universe of 160 countries in the UNDP gender inequality index (IDG 2018). In addition to having one of the highest rates in the region in relation to maternal mortality and early pregnancy, one of the main disadvantages of women in relation to men is access to secondary education (2.8% women). There are still no improvements in the status and position of women in the exercise of rights or in the explicit inclusion of women's strategic priorities in policies, programs or in the electoral system itself. According to statistics, in 2017 there were 25,589 reports of domestic violence in the country, of which 75% were female victims. 73% of the cases were carried out by someone close to the victim.
Women in the urban environment are more exposed to sexual violence than in the rural environment, and Maputo has higher proportions than the national average. For this reason, the work will continue to be developed in this city with the collaboration of Fórum Mulher, the leading feminist organization in the fight for women's rights. This new phase of the program also includes an important new partner: the Southern African Social Communication Institute (MISA-Mozambique), the most prestigious professional journalism association in the region. In addition, the training and coordination actions will always have the active collaboration of the local authorities, namely the Directorate for Gender, Children and Social Action of the City of Maputo, the Directorate of Health of the City of Maputo, the Assistance Office for Family and Minor Victim of Violence, Maputo City Council, Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Action.
The project “Contribute to the defense, guarantee and exercise of a violence-free life against women in Maputo - Phase II” is developed by medicusmundi with funding from ACCD - Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation.
Published on 27/04/20