The multinational Mozal launched on Thursday, the 16th, in Maputo Province, the 2026 edition of the “Women in Industry” program, an initiative aimed at promoting access for young girls to technical-professional and engineering courses, strengthening inclusion in the industrial sector.
According to the Mozambique News Agency, the new edition will benefit 150 young women, with a focus on girls from the districts of Boane, Matola, Moamba, and Namaacha. Of the total spots, 120 will be allocated to Maputo Province: 40 for the Armando Emílio Guebuza Industrial and Computing Institute (IICAEG), 40 for the Matola Industrial and Commercial Institute (IICM), and 20 for the Boane Agricultural Institute (IAB). The remaining 30 will be allocated to Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), specifically to the Faculty of Engineering.
At UEM, 20 scholarships will be awarded to girls from districts in Maputo Province, 10 to young women from other provinces in the country, and 10 to students with special educational needs, the latter having the possibility to apply for different engineering fields.
Speaking at the launch, Lucrécia Uamba, Director of External Affairs at Mozal, emphasized that this initiative represents the company’s ongoing commitment to developing national human capital through education. “It is a legacy of Mozal, in partnership with the Government, to ensure that more young people have access to quality training and can enter the labor market,” she said.
She explained the focus on girls by noting that, historically, technical and mechanical professions have been predominantly associated with men. Present at the event, engineer Jennifer Titosse, a former scholarship recipient of the program and currently assigned to Mozal’s Engineering Department, shared her testimony, highlighting the program’s transformative impact.
“This opportunity opened doors that allowed me to achieve my greatest dream: becoming an engineer. It was an experience of effort, perseverance, and accomplishment,” she stated, encouraging future participants to believe in themselves.
Maria Bridge, Director of Provincial Social Affairs Services in Maputo, welcomed the expansion of the program to another institution in the province, the Boane Agricultural Institute, which will broaden the range of technical-professional training opportunities in the region.
Bridge highlighted Mozal’s role as a partner of the State in promoting gender equality, in line with the 2030 Agenda, and lamented that the idea that industrial sectors should be exclusively male domains still persists in society. “The Government is committed to correcting these historical inequalities and creating an inclusive environment for all,” she reiterated.
Source: Diário Económico
