Community leaders engagement in the fight against early unions and violence against women and girls
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The official launch of the project "Community Leaders Are Allies in a Solidarity Movement for Gender Equality and Women's Rights to End Early Unions in Mozambique" took place on November 8 in Xai-Xai, Gaza province, Mozambique.
The project aims to improve the capacities of community leaders to support the prevention and combating of violence against women and girls and other harmful traditional practices in 5 districts of Gaza province, namely: Xai-Xai, Chongoene, Limpopo, Manjacaze and Chicualacuala. It is being implemented by UN Women Mozambique, through civil society partners, in coordination with the Government of Gaza province and it is funded by the Catalan Agency for Development and Cooperation.
The Representative of the Catalan Agency, Mr. Álvaro Garcia Miguel, took the opportunity to recognize that the fight for gender equality is a clear example, where citizens and civil society have been and are one of the main responsible for the advances in legislation and the paradigm shift.
In his speech, the Spanish Ambassador, Mr. Alberto Cerezo, highlighted education as one of the main weapons for confronting any kind of violence, whether against women or girls, and other harmful traditional practices. "Gender-based violence is a real pandemic that we all have to fight. And there is only one way: education," emphasized the Spanish ambassador.
Spotlight Initiative a role model
Ms. Mara Nhone, a community and religious leader from the district of Xai-Xai, administrative post of Inhamissa, took the opportunity to envision the impact that the project will have on her community, highlighting previous experiences implemented by the Spotlight Initiative since 2019 in Gaza province.
"Thanks to the implementation of awareness-raising sessions and a door-to-door campaigns, we were able to rescue a young woman who was living in premature union in our community. The big challenge was to relocate the victims to safe places so that they could go on with their lives." The leader ended by emphasizing the role of families and schools in educating children to avoid drugs use, which can lead to behaviour that promotes gender-based violence.
The project "Community Leaders Are Allies in a Solidarity Movement for Gender Equality and Women's Rights to End Early Unions in Mozambique" is inspired by the recent successful experience of the Spotlight Initiative, implemented over the last 4 years, benefiting around six million people in Mozambique.