VZCZCXRO7232
RR RUEHJO
DE RUEHTO #0528/01 1180842
ZNR UUUUU ZZHZDF
R 280842Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY MAPUTO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0256
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0383

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MAPUTO 000528 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI PHUM SCUL MZ
SUBJECT: GENDER EQUALITY, AN ELUSIVE GOAL 
 
MAPUTO 00000528  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY: Women are specifically recognized as equal to 
men under the Mozambican constitution, but equality has 
proved an elusive goal.  Legal structures are in place to 
assure equal treatment but lack of knowledge of rights and 
financial resources, lack of access to the courts, limited 
education, and strong cultural traditions keep many women 
from exercising the rights guaranteed to them.  Despite this, 
women hold high offices in the Government of Mozambique 
(GRM), as well as both major parties, including the positions 
of Prime Minister, Minister of Labor, and Minister of 
Justice.  Advances in employment and politics are encouraging 
but even in these arenas, women trail behind.  END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------ 
LEGAL STRUCTURE IN PLACE 
------------------------ 
 
¶2.  Both Mozambique's constitution and its body of laws 
recognize equality between the sexes but, as in many areas, 
enforcement is lacking, and many women do not have knowledge 
of their rights or the specifics of the new family law that 
passed in 2008.  The laws regarding inheritance on the death 
of a spouse provide a telling example.  The laws are clear; a 
surviving widow has significant rights to her late husband's 
assets.  In many rural areas, however, based on cultural 
norms, a widow is denied access to any of her late husband's 
assets and is thrown out of the home, left to survive as best 
she can.   If the widow knows of her legal rights, she may 
find her efforts to enforce them stymied by lack of access to 
the courts, lack of access to legal representation, and lack 
of resources to pay for representation.  In addition, there 
is the broader problem of a lack of justice structure at the 
rural level. 
 
-------------------- 
CULTURAL LIMITATIONS 
-------------------- 
 
¶3.  Cultural norms continue to impinge on gender equality. 
Generally speaking, a Mozambican woman is considered to be of 
value only if she is partnered with a man.  In some areas, 
women are expected to serve meals for men and eat only after 
the men have finished.  This tradition, which emphasizes 
gender inequality, is followed even by well-educated, 
employed women in the cities, who fear loss of social 
recognition if their male partner leaves due to failure to 
treat him with the esteem to which society tells him he is 
entitled. 
 
--------- 
EDUCATION 
--------- 
 
¶4.  The Government of Mozambique (GRM) is committed to 
achieving universal primary basic education (but is unlikely 
to meet the Millennium Development Goals).  In cities, boys 
and girls attend school in approximately equal percentages 
although far more males receive higher education and complete 
education than females.  In rural areas far fewer girls 
attend school than boys, fewer go on to higher education or 
even complete a basic education.  There are numerous reasons 
for this including a belief that education for girls is 
unimportant, the need for girls to assist in the running of 
the household (often caring for children while their mothers 
work in the fields), lack of separate toilet facilities, and 
far distances to schools.  Tragically, there are many cases 
of young female students being impregnated by their teachers, 
either trading grades for sex or outright sexual abuse. Also, 
as secondary school is not free, parents tend to invest in 
their sons' secondary schooling first. 
 
----------------------- 
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT 
----------------------- 
 
¶5.  Women are better represented in the political and 
governmental arenas.  Both major political parties trumpet 
the involvement of women in their organizations; for example, 
each has a female director of external relations.  Majority 
party Frelimo requires that women make up at least a specific 
percentage of the candidates for every election (and hence 
women make up an important percentage of representatives in 
the National Assembly); Renamo,s spokesperson is a woman. 
The prime minister is a woman, the first lady is a well 
respected leader, and Graca Machel, widow of Mozambican hero 
Samora Machel, is a member of the Frelimo party Central 
Committee, head of a major NGO, and highly visible supporter 
of better education for women.  Several ministries, including 
Justice and Labor, are headed by women, and all ministries 
have a gender focal point-person.  The ruling-FRELIMO 
party,s most important body, the Political Commission, 
includes four women in its 15-person membership. 
 
MAPUTO 00000528  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
NON-TRADITIONAL EMPLOYMENT; WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶6.  Women are well-integrated into the work force and are 
well-represented in the medical and banking industries. 
Women appear in non-traditional employment, excelling at 
de-mining and serving in the police and military (although in 
the lower ranks,and only in Maputo, since the FADM is less 
able to protect them against sexual assault in outlying 
areas).  Women generally are supportive of other women and 
their careers, mentoring and networking together.  Female 
attorneys organized through the NGO Association of Mozambican 
Women in the Justice Career (AMMCJ) provide pro bono legal 
services and education to women throughout the country. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶7.  Perhaps the best hope for gender equality in Mozambique 
lies in the smaller communities where infusions of 
state-provided funds to be distributed by a local council 
provide women the opportunity to receive a basic education, 
learn leadership skills, to assert themselves on issues that 
are important to them, and to learn to work together to 
achieve important goals.  This, along with the efforts of 
groups to inform women of legal rights they already possess 
and to assist women in enforcing their rights through the 
justice system, could provide the next generation of women 
with greater empowerment.  Communities need to place higher 
value on girls' education and existing structure need to be 
reinforced at the district and municipal levels to create an 
enabling environment in support of gender equality. 
Chapman