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Norway and UNFPA strengthen vital support for women and girls with new USD 2.8 million agreement for northern Mozambique
8:35 CAT | 10 Jul 2025
Photo: Royal Norwegian Embassy in Maputo
The Government of Norway and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, today signed a new agreement to launch the next phase of a critical initiative aimed at protecting and empowering women and girls affected by conflict in northern Mozambique.
This renewed partnership, supported by a grant of USD 2.8 million (approximately 180 million Meticais) from the Embassy of Norway in Maputo, will span three years and focuses on strengthening sexual and reproductive health and rights and preventing and responding to gender- -based violence across some of the country’s most vulnerable districts.
Building on impact
The programme builds on strong results achieved in the previous phase, which reached more than 100,000 women and girls with essential SRHR services across Cabo Delgado, Nampula, and Niassa. With conflict and displacement continuing to strain public services and expose women and girls to heightened risks, the new phase comes at a critical moment.
Services provided under the previous partnership included antenatal and postnatal care, family planning, emergency obstetric referrals, psychosocial support for GBV survivors, and mobile health outreach to communities beyond the reach of fixed facilities. Hundreds of health workers were trained and equipped, safe spaces were established for women and girls, and thousands of boys and young men were engaged in promoting gender equality and respectful relationships.
A vision for resilient and inclusive recovery
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Head of Cooperation at the Norwegian Embassy, Ms Sissel Idland underscored Norway’s enduring commitment to the rights and dignity of women and girls in crisis settings.
“This work is about more than delivering services,” she said. “It is about restoring hope, agency, and safety to those who have lost so much. It is about investing in a future where every woman and girl has the power to make decisions about her body and her life, free from violence and fear.”
The new programme expands efforts to strengthen health systems, improve emergency referral pathways, enhance youth-friendly services, and build resilience among displaced and host communities. It will also deepen support for survivors of gender-based violence through case management, psychosocial care, legal aid, and vocational training, with a strong focus on inclusion of persons with disabilities.
The humanitarian-development-peace Nexus in action
The initiative reflects a commitment to what is known as the humanitarian-development-peace nexus — a coordinated approach that connects immediate emergency assistance with longer-term investments in public services, and with efforts to build peace and resilience. In northern Mozambique, where conflict and displacement continue to disrupt daily life, this means delivering lifesaving care while also strengthening the systems and communities that will carry the country forward.
“Too many women and girls in northern Mozambique continue to face the compounded impacts of conflict, displacement and inequality,” said Ms Nélida Rodrigues, UNFPA Representative in Mozambique. “This renewed partnership with the Government of Norway is part of an overall and comprehensive approach to strengthening systems and resilience, and includes restoring dignity, ensuring that no woman or girl is left behind. Together, we are building a future where rights, health and safety are a reality for all,” she concluded.
The programme aligns fully with Mozambique’s national strategies for recovery and resilience in the northern provinces and reflects a shared belief that crisis response must not only meet urgent needs but also lay the foundation for sustainable, inclusive development.
With this agreement, Norway and UNFPA reaffirm their shared vision: a Mozambique where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every woman and girl can live free from violence. Together, they are working to ensure that no woman or girl is left behind — not in health, not in protection, and not in dignity.
Norway’s Commitment to Women and Girls in Mozambique
The Government of Norway is a long- -standing partner in advancing gender equality, peace, and inclusive development in Mozambique, with a strong focus on the rights and well-being of women and girls.
Through support for education, health, protection, and economic empowerment, Norway helps create safer, more equitable futures for those most at risk.
As a leading advocate of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, Norway works with UN agencies, civil society, and local authorities to ensure women are not only protected in times of crisis but also empowered to lead recovery and peacebuilding efforts.
In conflict-affected regions like Cabo Delgado, Norway’s support expands access to lifesaving services, promotes women’s leadership, and strengthens community resilience.
About UNFPA in Mozambique
UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, deals with population issues and is responsible for expanding the possibilities for women and young people to lead healthy sexual and reproductive lives. UNFPA works to accelerate universal access to sexual and reproductive health, including voluntary family planning and safe motherhood and seeks to realise the rights and opportunities of young people. UNFPA also supports countries using population data to anticipate future challenges, offering technical assistance that strengthens and empowers its partners.
Source: Government of Norway - United Nations Population Fund / Press Release
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