World Vision Mozambique Calls for Urgent Action to Criminalize Femicide and Protect Women and Girls

World Vision Mozambique has joined national and international non-governmental organizations in issuing an urgent appeal to Members of Parliament: take swift action to lead a movement that criminalizes femicide, a crime that is cutting short the dreams and lives of women and girls across the country.

The appeal was voiced by Marisa Chicuamba, representing National Director Carolina da Silva, during the Second Annual Women Parliamentarians Forum. At the event, parliamentarians were also encouraged to redouble efforts to protect children in Cabo Delgado and Nampula and to continue “breaking the chains” of child marriage that still affect many girls.

Forum participants called for unity and acceleration in implementing laws that remain dormant and emphasized the urgent need to protect women and girls from digital violence threats and risks.

The Minister of Labor, Gender and Social Action, Ivete Alane raised concerns about a worrying trend: the decline in women’s representation in key positions, such as in the National Assembly, which dropped from 42% to 39%, with similar patterns observed in the Executive. According to the Minister, these signals cannot be ignored and require concrete actions to promote women’s political and economic participation, which is essential for nation-building.

The minister acknowledged progress, such as the growing number of women and girls enrolled in schools, however, serious challenges persist. Female poverty, gender-based violence, and child marriage remain pressing issues that demand strong and coordinated responses in the short and medium term.

While the Chair of the Women's Caucus, Maria Marta Zalimba, said that femicide cannot be ignored. “Human life is a gift from God; no one has the right to take it away. Human dignity is paramount, and the Constitution protects the right to life. Women and children continue to be the majority among the victims of this phenomenon.”

Addressing participants at the Forum, the During the Forum, the chair of the Assembly of the Republic, Margarida Talapa reaffirmed: “Only together and united can we end violence against women and girls.”

The representative of the Interior Ministry, Nadia Lucas Buzi, called for concrete measures, including: i)establishing a free hotline for survivors of violence to report directly to the police and ii) introducing violence prevention topics in schools, with a strong focus on engaging boys to foster a cultural habit of protecting girls.