Mozambique: Matola hosts civil society march against femicide this Saturday

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Mozambique: Matola hosts civil society march against femicide this Saturday

10:51 CAT | 26 Sep 2025

Image: Mulheres em Movimento / Facebook

Civil society organizations will hold a march this Saturday (27) in the city of Matola, Maputo province, to condemn the wave of femicides that have occurred in recent months across the country.

The initiative was started by two friends and mothers, Lúcia Tânia Simbine and Valquíria Senete, who decided to take action following the case of a 13-year-old girl who was found dead, floating in a river on September 11, five days after disappearing from her home.

“We are tired of waiting for someone to do something. As mothers, we are outraged by this latest case and wanted to organize a march in solidarity,” said the protest organizers.

The mobilization began in the Facebook group Mães e Amigas, where the proposal received immediate support, according to the two organizers.

Other women soon joined in to help structure the idea. After the necessary requests were submitted, the march received authorization from the Matola Municipal Council, the Maputo Provincial Police Command, and the Matola Secondary School.

Although not professional activists, the two organizers have carried out informal solidarity work for over five years, supporting families in need through donations and social media campaigns.

The objective of this march is twofold: to express solidarity with the victims, and to call on authorities to pay greater attention to cases of gender-based violence and provide stronger protections for those at risk. Many families complain about the lack of legal safeguards and the way such cases are handled.

“Victims and families don’t feel there is any real support. We want to make noise so they can hear us,” the two organizers emphasized.

The initiative will feature the participation of musician and social activist Stewart Sukuma, along with family members of femicide victims in recent weeks, further strengthening the movement.

This Saturday’s march, witch starts at 6h30m A:M:, will culminate in a discussion group featuring invited experts, who will raise awareness, address key issues, and help collect signatures for a petition.

The document will later be submitted to human rights associations led by Custódio Duma and Carlos Serra, with the goal of advancing the legal process related to the complaints.

The organizers hope this will be the first of many marches.

“We want to support existing organizations, and above all, we want to be heard,” they emphasize.

The teenage girl recently found dead in Matola was a resident of Malhampsene, in the Matola district. For days, her family searched for signs of her whereabouts and posted appeals on social media.

The anguish ended in devastating fashion on September 11, when Yumily’s body was found floating in the river. The condition in which she was found raises strong suspicions that she was the victim of violence before being abandoned in the water.

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