The President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, pointed out, this Sunday, early pregnancies and premature unions as some of the main challenges on the “path” to gender equality in the country, one day in which Mozambique celebrated Women’s Day. “It is crucial to recognize that challenges persist on the path towards full gender equality (…) In the health area, challenges still persist due to the predominance of multiple structural, normative, social and economic problems, which occur at all stages of a woman’s and girl’s life, hindering their development, including early pregnancy and premature unions”, said Filipe Nyusi, in a statement to the nation, on the occasion of Women’s Day. In addition of early pregnancies and premature unions, continued the Head of State, maternal mortality and gender-based violence are other challenges facing Mozambican women, although “remarkable progress” is highlighted in recent years.”In the area of education, we invested in girls’ education and, as a result, the net enrollment rate of girls in primary education increased from 93.3 percent in 2020 to 98.3 in 2023, thus contributing to achieving gender parity in primary education,” declared Filipe Nyusi, also highlighting that, between 2020 and 2023, the percentage of women enrolled in higher education increased from 46 percent to 48 percent. “We assume that we can only achieve sustainable development with the emancipation of women, prioritizing equal opportunities between women and men”, he emphasized. Mozambique continues to record one of the highest prevalence rates of premature unions, with around 48 percent of girls getting married before reaching the age of 18, according to the most recent official data. Marriages are generally , negotiated by families and used as a strategy to escape poverty, especially in rural areas. In October 2019, the President of the Republic promulgated and ordered the publication of the Law to Prevent and Combat Premature Unions, approved in July of the same year by parliament. The law eliminates marital unions involving people under 18 years of age, punishing an adult who marries a child with a sentence of up to 12 years and a fine of up to two years. The penalty is equally extended to adults who participate in the engagement preparations and to any adult who accepts to live in a union arranged by other people, when they are aware that the partner is under 18 years of age. Sanctions are also foreseen for public officials, religious leaders and traditional leaders who celebrate marriages involving minors under 18 years of age, if in which the public servant will be sentenced to up to eight years in prison. April 7th is the holiday that marks the death, in 1971, of Josina Machel, the first wife of Samora Machel, first President of Mozambique. (RM)Source:Rádio Moçambique Online
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