The Meaning of Gender Issues as Narrated and Negotiated by Activists in Mozambique

Feminist activism in Mozambique has suffered dramatic changes throughout the many sociopolitical processes the country has encountered. Consequently, the activists in civil society still struggle to fight against patriarchal oppression, political repression, and socio-cultural norms that hinder women’s full realization of their rights. As it follows, this research aims to investigate how activists in Mozambique understand and negotiate gender issues considering socio-political context and cultural norms. The inquiry used ethnography as a tool to conduct a case study with a civil society organization promoting women’s human rights from a feminist perspective (Forum Mulher). As well, it includes narratives from other activists working with the thematic in the country. Semi-structured interviews served as a method to delimit what gender issues mean to Mozambican women and how they negotiate such issues with the local governance, transnational feminist discourse, and global norms. Their narratives were analyzed using the post-colonial feminist theory and feminist participatory democracy perspective.