Changing Laws, Changing Lives: Supporting survivors of gender-based violence in Mozambique

Overview

Survivors of gender-based violence in Mozambique face challenges in accessing legal justice and support. Formal justice structures are inaccessible, especially in remote areas, and informal procedures are often rooted in attitudes and practices that discriminate against women. Since 2008, Oxfam in Mozambique has partnered with small women’s rights organisations through Fórum Mulher, a network of women’s associations in Mozambique, to offer funding and support. One such group is AMUDEIA (the Association of Disadvantaged Women), a rural women’s organisation which operates a care centre for survivors of gender-based violence. With Oxfam’s support, AMUDEIA has been able to grow from an informal association of volunteers to an established organisation with the capacity to provide survivors with the legal and psychosocial services they need.