WLSA- Oil for Development

General

The Women and Law in Southern Africa Research and Education Trust (WLSA) is a regional non-governmental organization (NGO) that conducts research on the situation of women's rights in seven southern African countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. WLSA Mozambique defines itself as a feminist organization, which means that: It recognizes that there is currently a situation of injustice in society where women are less likely to enjoy their citizenship rights, less access to resourcesand decision-making bodies. It seeks to act in defense of gender equality, bearing in mind that change can only be effective if thepatriarchal power structures that guarantee and reproduce women's subordination are shaken. WLSA Mozambique is an organization of note. A very powerful Womens Right Organization that will join us as an implementing partner for this next phase of the project. The adhesion of WLSA to the project will respond to identified gap in previous phases in regard to a stronger gender perspective of the project. WLSA's engagement in the EI is rather recent compared to the traditional Civil Society players in this male dominated area. In 2016, WLSA undertook a study Corporações Económicas e expropriação: raparigasmulheres e comunidades reassentadas no distrito deMoatize (Economic Corporations and Expropriation the case of girls, women and resettled communities in Moatize district) which assesses the impact of the mining industry on communities in Moatize district, in particular the populations affected by the establishment of the Vale and ICVL companies. The results of the study were then applied to train activists advocating the protection and defense of human rights, with a special focus of those of women andgirls. The study focused on the power dynamics between women and men when participating in decision making related to resettlement. More recently WLSA undertook a research in Pemba (Cabo delgado province) as well obeying the same approach applied in TeteProvince study. After finalization of the study, it was launched with a wide coverage of the local media.