The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Action, Paulo Silva Beirão, revealed that more than 1.3 million people continue to require humanitarian assistance in provinces affected by armed conflict, with emphasis on Cabo Delgado, Nampula and Niassa. According to the data presented, around 80% of those affected are women and children.
The information was shared during the opening speech of the roundtable on the “National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAP-WPS)”, held this Wednesday morning (20) in Maputo.
On the occasion, the official argued that the active participation of women at all levels of decision-making, especially in peace and security processes, is essential to ensure more effective and inclusive responses.
“Between the first National Action Plan (2018–2022) and the new cycle 2026–2035, the Government has strengthened an approach based on four pillars: women’s participation in decision-making processes, protection of their rights, prevention of gender-based violence, and promotion of recovery and economic empowerment,” he explained.
The Executive Director of the Institute for Multiparty Democracy (IMD), Hermenegildo Mulhovo, highlighted that the implementation of the first plan brought progress in valuing the role of women in peacebuilding, civil society involvement, and awareness of women’s inclusion in mediation and reconciliation processes.
“Overall Irish support to Mozambique amounts to around 30 million euros, distributed across governance, peace and development areas, strengthening ongoing initiatives with local partners”
However, he warned of persistent challenges such as lack of resources, weak institutional coordination, and still limited participation of women in formal decision-making spaces, despite recent progress.
Paulo Beirão stressed that women’s active participation at all levels of decision-making, especially in peace and security processes, is essential to ensure more effective and inclusive responses.
Mulhovo also noted that around 40% of participants in current national dialogue processes are women, a significant improvement compared to earlier phases when female representation was minimal.
The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mozambique, Catherine Sozi, stated that women’s involvement is crucial to ensure their needs are integrated into peacebuilding processes.
She also highlighted UN support for the Inclusive National Dialogue and capacity-building initiatives, focusing on the active participation of women from different communities in reform and reconciliation processes.
The Irish Ambassador, who shared Ireland’s experience in peace processes, reaffirmed commitment to the Women, Peace and Security agenda, highlighting a combination of funding, technical support and knowledge exchange.
“Overall Irish support to Mozambique amounts to around 30 million euros, distributed across governance, peace and development areas, strengthening ongoing initiatives with local partners,” she stated.
The initiative, promoted by the Institute for Multiparty Democracy (IMD), under the Women, Peace and Security project, Promoting Democracy, and the Access to Justice Programme, funded by the European Union, the Embassy of Ireland and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, also included three panels addressing the themes: “The Imperative of Protection and Prevention of Human Rights Violations: Current Risks and Ways to Increase Women’s Leadership in Peace Processes”; “Consolidating Gains and Projecting the New National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security”; and “Local Perspectives on Best Practices for Peace”.
Text: Ana Mangana
