Mozambique: Women in Manica slam discrimination in municipalities

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Mozambique: Women in Manica slam discrimination in municipalities

12:39 CAT | 02 Oct 2018

Women from Beira, central Mozambique. File photo: DW

Women represent half the votes in the country, but they do not have a strong presence in municipality decision-making. The approach of the October 10 local elections has brought the issue into sharp focus.

Ivete Luís David, a resident of Chimoio [capital of Manica province], deplores the fact that women still have little say in decision-making at the administrative level. Nevertheless, the next elections do not leave her without expectations.

“I would like the candidate who wins [the local municipality] to integrate women in almost all sectors of municipal activity,” she says.

Wahlen Mosambik 15.10.2014 Wahlurne Stimmabgabe — *Voting in the 2014 general elections in Maputo*

The Manica citizen also believes that the new mayor “should create funds within the municipal council, since women are the victim in various situations and need insurance to secure her future”. “It’s the woman who is left with the child while the man goes off. What kind of situation is she left in?”

Programmes for women in electoral manifestos?

According to David, there are women in Mozambique with more skills than some men, but they are not assigned any leadership positions. She urges heads of list to include projects that benefit women in particular in their electoral manifestos.

“The candidates have to look more closely at women’s issues and try to put them on the lists, whether for parliamentary or municipal functions. The candidate who is elected will have to create more associations for Mozambican women as a way of improving their lives, and give women more leverage at national level,” she says.

DW Africa asked politicians looking for votes about these demands and about the projects for women that each party proposes in its electoral manifesto. After all, they represent about half of the electorate.

Bildergalerie Wahlkampf 2014 Mosambik — *Party leaflets pasted on a wall during 2014 campaigning*

Parties full of promises

The Mozambican Liberation Front’s head of list in Chimoio, João Ferreira, said that it has “enviable” projects for women, as long as they are part of organised associations or groups. Ferreira says that if his party wins the elections, the women of Chimoio will have a feast of financing for small projects developed by them.

But he says that “women have to create associations in all neighbourhoods, so we can offer them sewing machines and fabrics to work on”.

Manuel Macocove, the head of list for the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), the country’s largest opposition party, also made promises.

“We will create conditions so that women can also direct groups of other women in the markets. Let’s create projects that help the development of women, as well as credit lines that can finance their projects.”

Alberto Note, head of the list of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), the second largest opposition party, said that “projects for women will be diversified, depending on what each group wants”.

And, as is normal during campaigning, he also makes promises.

“We will give more support and incentives to ensure that projects generate income within families. We have the livestock, weaving, services and tourism sectors [to work in].”

Source: Deutsche Welle