IMPACT OF THE ARMED CONFLICTS ON THE LIVES OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN MOZAMBIQUE Field research report on the provinces of Nampula, Zambézia, Gaza and Sofala IMPACT OF THE ARMED CONFLICTS ON THE LIVES OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN MOZAMBIQUE FIELD RESEARCH REPORT ON THE PROVINCES OF NAMPULA, ZAMBÉZIA, GAZA AND SOFALA This report is part of the project “Strengthening Access to Justice in Mozambique” carried out by LWBC with the support of the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada. The opinions expressed in this report are of the research authors and do not necessarily correspond to the position of the Canadian government INDEX Prologue ................................................................................................................................................................................................7 Acknowledgements ..............................................................................................................................................................................9 Abbreviations and Acronyms ............................................................................................................................................................11 Executive summary ............................................................................................................................................................................13 Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................................................15 Objectives of the Study ......................................................................................................................................................................16 Framing the Problem ..........................................................................................................................................................................16 Methodology .......................................................................................................................................................................................17 Chapter I: Conceptual Framework ...................................................................................................................................................23 1.1 Armed Conflict ...........................................................................................................................................................................23 1.2 Gender and Violence Against Women ........................................................................................................................................23 1.3 National Reconciliation, Peaceful Coexistence and Transitional Justice ......................................................................................25 Chapter II: Post-Independence Armed Conflict in Mozambique ...................................................................................................29 2.1 Brief History ...............................................................................................................................................................................29 2.2 Causes of the Armed Conflict in Mozambique ............................................................................................................................30 2.2.1 Political Causes ....................................................................................................................................................................30 2.2.2 Social Causes ......................................................................................................................................................................31 2.2.3 Economic Causes ................................................................................................................................................................32 Chapter III: Situation of Women in Armed Conflicts .......................................................................................................................35 3.1 General Overview on Violence Against Women And Girls During Armed Conflicts ......................................................................35 3.2 The Human Rights Violations Suffered by Women in Armed Conflicts ........................................................................................35 3.3 The Treatment of Women in Mozambican Society ......................................................................................................................36 3.3.1 The Forms of Violence Suffered by Mozambican Women and Girls During Periods of Conflict ..............................................37 3.3.2 Social Perception on the Motivation of Violence Against Women in the Armed Conflict in Mozambique ................................40 3.3.3 Profile of the Victims in this Study .........................................................................................................................................41 3.4 Women’s Participation in the Conflicts in Mozambique ...............................................................................................................42 3.5 Impact of the Violence on the Life of Women and Girls During Armed Conflict ...........................................................................46 3.5.1 Social Impact .......................................................................................................................................................................46 3.5.2 Economic Impact .................................................................................................................................................................47 3.5.3 Physical and Psychological Impact .......................................................................................................................................48 3.6 The End of the Conflict and the Restoration of Peace in Mozambique: Adopted Reconciliation Processes .................................50 Chapter IV: The Participation of Women in Peace Processes, National Reconciliation and Post-Conflict Peaceful Coexistence ................................................................................................55 4.1 Situational Overview and International Experiences ....................................................................................................................55 4.2 Women’s Contribution in Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution................................................................................56 4.3 Situational Overview of Mozambique ..........................................................................................................................................58 Chapter V: Reparation Measures for Women After Armed Conflicts ............................................................................................63 5.1 National Overview of Post-Conflict Reparations in Mozambique .................................................................................................63 5.2 Amnesty and National Reconciliation Laws ................................................................................................................................64 5.3 Access to Justice and Support Institutions For Women..............................................................................................................65 5.4 Proposals on Individual and Collective Reparation and Non-Repetition Measures ......................................................................66 Final Thoughts and Recommendations ...........................................................................................................................................69 Appendix I ...........................................................................................................................................................................................73 Appendix II ..........................................................................................................................................................................................79 Bibliographic References ..................................................................................................................................................................83 IMPACT OF ARMED CONFLICTS ON THE LIVES OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN MOZAMBIQUE Field research report on the provinces of Nampula, Zambézia, Gaza and Sofala 5 Prologue Armed conflicts entail serious consequences for the physical and psychological health, as well as for the social and professional development of people and communities, decisively affecting the lives of those struck by such violence. As evidenced by one of the women interviewed in the preparation of this report, the victims suffer a permanent interruption of “a future that never arrives”. To listen to the voices of those who suffered in their own lives, and in their own environments – the consequences of armed conflicts – it becomes essential to find a path that consolidates a process of lasting peace and reconciliation and guarantees victims’ access to justice, empowerment and emancipation. It is with this conviction that Lawyers Without Borders Canada (LWBC) has united with the human rights organization Woman, Law and Development Association (MULEIDE) and with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CEEI/ISRI) to carry out a process of consulting