March 8 is International Women’s Day!

On March 8 – and every day – the Mozambique–Canada Maternal Health Project raises its voice in solidarity with all women and girls, in all their diversity and strength and courage, all around the world. On International Women’s Day (IWD) this year, we think especially of women and girls in conflict zones, caught in political unrest in the north of Mozambique, in Ethiopia, Sudan, Ukraine, Afghanistan, among many other places, and the ongoing violence of colonialism and racism impacting Indigenous and racialized women and girls in Canada and beyond.

In the midst of such struggle, we wish to acknowledge the inspiring leadership of women in our own partner communities in Inhambane Province who embody the hope we all need.

In this photo, the three women on the right are members of a newly established egg production microenterprise, in Muane, Zavala province – Regina Tomás Laice, Serafina Zefanias Massada, Celestina Rafael Matuve – and beside them is the project’s community support worker, Urânia Lúcia Carlos Saúte. We congratulate these women as they move forward and take a leadership role in their community, generating income for themselves and their families, and improving nutrition for everyone.

Happy International Women’s Day!