Published: September 30, 2021

For the Portuguese version of this post please click here.

After having participated successfully in the KNOWLYMPICS2020 with the Good Practice: “Engaging men and boys in the fight against gender-based-violence“, LeMuSica used the prize money to conduct a 3-day workshop. The event was aimed at LeMuSiCa advisory staff from the “Women, Girls, Kindergarten and Administration” teams.

The workshop was organised by the coordinator Achia Camal and TA Astrid Bliem and took place September 15-17, 2021 in the premises of LeMuSiCa. It was financed by HORIZONT3000 in the scope of the KNOWLYMPICS, where LeMuSiCa had participated and was drawn as one of the winners of 500,- Euro. Dr. Manuel Machaze from the Office of the Public Prosecutor could be won as the workshop facilitator.

Comment from the Prosecutor: “We will fortify the cooperation between the Prosecutor’s Office and LeMuSiCa more and more, learning from each other’s experience in providing support for women, girls and children.”

The first workshop day was dedicated to the areas of counselling, case transfer as well as case management in order to improving LeMuSiCa’s services. First, the focus was on the Mozambican reality, on traditions and harmful cultural practices that are encountered when working in the communities, and a respectful approach to these challenges was discussed. Subsequently, the role and tasks of social workers as well as activists were brought into focus. The responsibilities and legal basis for this matter were debated particularly intensively. In the hot 35 degree weather, the distribution of HORIZONT3000 fans was a welcome gift.

Comment from the Coordinator: “This was a very valuable training for our counsellors, who will now attend to the victims giving them up-to-date and concrete information on the basis of the Law”.

The second day of the workshop was kicked off with a visit from the Chief Prosecutor of Manica Province Dr. Jorge Tivane and his team. LeMuSiCa gave a tour of the facility and a presentation of the team and their daily work gives hope for improved cooperation in the future.

Furthermore, the 2nd workshop day was dedicated to the legal framework for child protection, the Act on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child 7/2008. Concrete examples were shown and different solutions were sought in order to then jointly decide on an ideal course of action.

On the third day of the workshop, professional secrecy, the Act on the Prevention and Combating of Premature Unions 19/2019 and the Inheritance Act 23/2019 were dealt with in more detail. There was plenty of room for concrete practical examples from LeMuSiCa’s working environment. A crosscutting discussion point was the negative consequences of the pandemic in this context (early marriage, increased domestic violence, etc.).

Finally, a manual with the workshop contents was prepared and handed over to the participating LeMuSiCa teams. Through this capacity building and refresher course on the legal situation of their target group, the staff can now better advise and support them.

Comment from a participant: “The training was great; the manual will help us to remember the specific articles in the Laws that we need in our daily work”.

LeMuSiCa is an NGO in Chimoio, Mozambique. Women, girls and children affected by domestic violence and/or HIV find a contact point here for professional counselling and support. If necessary, those affected can also find accommodation here. LeMuSiCa (Levante-se Mulher, e Siga o seu Camino) means: Woman get up and go your way. It was founded in 1999 by a women’s initiative in Chimoio, Manica province, and is now interconnected nationally and internationally.