Activists warn that there is no real agenda for including women in Mozambican politics.

This Thursday, Mozambican activists told Luza that the participation of women in key positions in politics in Mozambique is still a problem, warning of the lack of a genuine gender equality agenda among the country’s political parties.

“We have more and more situations where women are in the majority among people who register to participate in electoral processes. […] So this majority should also be reflected in the number of women among the leaders,” said Lusa, a Mozambican activist Quiteria Girengane.

It is questionable that among more than 100 list heads approved this month by the two largest Mozambican parties that will run in October’s municipal elections, only seven are women, Lusa found while analyzing the lists of the Mozambican Liberation Front. Frelimo), in power, and the Mozambique National Resistance (Renamo), the main opposition force.

Although she considers it premature to provide specific data on the weak presence of women among the leaders of the October municipal lists, since nominations are still open until August 11, Kiteria Girengane warns of the absence of a serious agenda and is committed to gender equality in politics, criticizing the alleged exploitation of women, especially in electoral processes .

“It is true that it is not enough to have women on political shelves for beauty, and we do not care about the issue of representation quotas, while these women continue to obey the authoritative voice of men who tell them when to speak and what to say. let’s say women can’t just be numbers […] We need women who speak for themselves and convey the voices of other women,” the activist emphasized, recalling that the Mozambican economy “is carried by women in the informal sector.”

Activist Fatima Mimbire also warns of Mozambique’s lack of a true gender equality agenda, noting that women are in the majority in political parties.

“Political parties continue to look at women in terms of subjugation. They are called to electoral campaigns because they are great mobilizers, but in such decisive or structuring processes as the leadership of autarchy, they are not trusted,” said Fatima Mimbire.

But the responsibility also lies with women, the activist noted, criticizing the alleged self-indulgence.

“Women must leave the comfortable position they are in,” said Fatima Mimbire, arguing that the female gender is the hardest hit by major issues affecting Mozambique, including the Cabo Delgado war, illiteracy and problems in the health system.

“We are human capital that is underutilized,” the activist concluded.

Among the 130 heads of the list (65 municipalities) of the two largest parties in Mozambique, which lead all the current municipalities of the country, with the exception of Beira, are in the hands of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), which has not yet closed candidacies in these elections – only about 5% are women.

On Monday, the National Electoral Commission announced that the submission of nominations for voting will run from this Thursday until 11 August.

About 10 million Mozambicans will elect 65 new mayors on October 11, including 12 new municipalities that will join the 53 existing ones.

In the 2018 municipal elections, Frelimo won 44 out of 53 municipalities, while the opposition won only nine.