Mozambique: Advocacy work for the elimination of new cases of premature marriages, GBV and HIV

The Office of the Wife of the President of the Republic (GEPR), extends its activities to the provincial level and these are implemented by the spouses of the Provincial Governors. The main areas of intervention in the province: Premature Marriages (Premature Unions); Early pregnancies; Gender Based Violence (GBV) and HIV / AIDS. The activities are mostly carried out in partnership with various institutions, both public and private, national and foreign organizations. Many cultural practices are adverse to this cause (polygamy related to suitability, discrimination of women, lobolo of minors, etc.)

Purpose

Mainly involve men of different age groups and socio-professional strata in advocacy work to eliminate / reduce harmful cultural practices (premature marriages stimulated by parents, polygamy involving underage girls, machismo) in the context of eliminating new cases of premature marriages, GBV and HIV. To achieve these objectives, the following activities are carried out: Meetings with Influential people / decision makers in society and families; General seminars: provincial, district and administrative posts involving leaders, local leaders and influential local citizens: Community dialogues; Lectures and meetings with teenagers and young people (in schools and communities); Peer education by trained adolescents and young people; Participation in meetings with central, provincial and parliamentary government. During the sessions, the beneficiaries are made aware of the evils and subsequently invited to become agents of change, making replicas of the messages in their communities and / or with people they trust.

In order to carry out its activities, it counts on support from partners who bear the expenses of the activities, directly paying for the goods and services.There are more and more men with better posture and greater sensitivity on gender issues.Freer women to participate actively, making choices for themselves, envisioning a future outside their communities.Communities more informed about their role in raising awareness and reporting cases.Society with greater acceptance of the different roles of women, even in leadership positions. For example, it is naturally accepted that women are leaders (the two Edis of Gaza have earned the confidence to renew; of the 3 parties that go to the new provincial governor elections, 2 presented women as candidates

Challenges: Extend actions to other locations (the province is extensive); Provide the Office with greater autonomy; Mobilize more financial resources to massify actions.

Lessons Learned: Adjusting strategies to local socio-cultural realities is a success factor; The involvement of leaders and government officials in advocacy work, allows achieving better results; In-depth explanations and discussions with experts increase everyone’s levels of awareness and engagement; The approval of the new law on marital age will contribute to the criminalization of all promoters of premature unions.

Sustainability and Replica

The empowerment and involvement of community-based leaders and other influential people will allow for the continuous implementation of new practices and approaches. Design of projects to finance specific programs with a view to not being totally dependent on partners for implementation.The dissemination of the “Man to Man Dialogue” approach through exchange of experiences.

Steps to follow: Mobilize more partnerships to expand actions; Strengthen the platforms of organizations that operate in the same areas and disseminate the approach;