The Beginning of Change For Mozambique’s Women

Across the globe, many underdeveloped countries have experienced centuries of child marriage, where a girl under the age of majority is forced into wedlock. On the eastern coast of Africa, lies a low-income country, Mozambique, where more than 20 percent of its young women between the ages of 13 and 17 have been married. Along with that, their Gender Inequality Index was 0.569 as of 2019, which ranks them 180th out of 189 countries. This statistic indicates a low quality of life amongst the people of this nation, as the low score displays the remainder of inequalities regarding reproductive health, empowerment, and economic activity.

As part of multiple global initiatives, such as the Spotlight Initiative, started by the United Nations and funded by the European Union, laws have been instilled to protect women and young girls from gender-based violence, which includes child marriage. As a product of the Spotlight Initiative, was birthed the Tambara Women’s Association (ASMTA), which more specifically helps create a network of women that can support each other and build themselves up economically.

A particular 44-year-old woman, Teresa Gala, did not get to further her secondary education as she married at the ripe age of 14, and went on to mother five children. Throughout the past three decades, her role has consisted of strictly household chores and farming, and the ambition to one day own her own business selling yogurt was out of the picture. Through the help of the United Nations initiatives, more specifically the ASMTA, Ms. Gala was able to access starting funds to debut her company and invest in the appropriate capital needed to keep her yogurt edible, such as a freezer. Her products became quite a success, and with the additional income coming in, she was able to purchase a cell phone and expand her networking by being able to contact her contacts. Beyond that, she can now pay for one of her daughter's superior studies in health, which is a remarkable attempt at breaking the cycle of poverty amongst her family.

The ultimate reward in Ms. Gala’s eyes is the ability to be a financially stable woman who contributes for her family beyond just domestic chores. The work in Mozambique is nowhere near completed, however outstanding achievements have already been reached regarding women’s rights; more women have obtained positions of authority and there has been an increase in school attendance for girls. Ultimately, many organizations like the ones mentioned hope to improve the life conditions of women all over the world in underdeveloped countries, in hopes of closing the inequality gap and putting an end to gender based violence.

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Contributors: Charolette Swane