There are not gentlemen

Mozambican women have the strength that I never imagined anyone could have, they can carry kilos of firewood on their heads, heavy packages that not any mortal would dare to carry on their hands and a baby on their back with the most incredible delicacy that could provide their feminine nature.

I am not saying anything against the gentlemen here but I have not seen that social custom  in which men were the ones responsible for carrying the heavier work, to carry the heaviest things. Here I realized that this role is mostly for women: if a couple is walking it is she who takes most of the load, regardless of age.

As in most developing countries the literacy rate (in the country is less than 40%) is slightly lower in women than in men. 46% of children between 6 and 12 years attending schools in contrast to 35% of girls. The cultural influence, the difficult economic conditions (as of 8th grade education payment required), teenage pregnancy and the unequal participation of women in the family have influenced the lower female schooling.

This has resulted in lower training of women for effective participation in the labor market but still some of them have decided to work on crops to ensure at least one daily meal of their children. Working with the same or even greater force than men but always taking care of their babies who always carry with them.

Before making any judgment on it is worth knowing the situation of women in this country is that while 51% of the population, I would say it is a major force that drives this society.

My experience in Colombia made me believe that poverty is particularly unfair to women by social, political, economic and even cultural reasons. Our central position in the family, and therefore in society, is an advantage and also a disadvantage that can be understood as a barrier and also a personal challenge.

Even if the women of this country have lived in a completely different context that you couldn't imagine; this has encouraged them to be stronger. If you ask me a strategy to achieve economic development, I would say that it is necessary to empower women with job skills that allow them to participate actively in the labor market, allowing it to decide on his plan of life, where they can choose the number of children they may have, educate them and ensure they grow up healthy, in short they like the men can be agents of that path to reach sustainable growth.