WOMEN’S RIGHTS ONLINEREPORTCARD
MOZAMBIQUE
Measuring Progress,
Driving Action

INTE’SENACCESS & W
ET OWERM OM
NENR MPTE

MOZAMBIQUEOVERALL SCORE:
SCORE:

20%

SCORE:Y

41GB data costs over 10% of average income, limiting
women’s access. The government is considering ICTtax reforms that would help reduce user costs.

DIGITAO R DA BILIT

Just one third of women in poor areas of Maputo
are connected to the Internet, compared to almost
two-thirds of men. Across the country as a whole,
only 6% of the population is online.

SCORE:KILLS & EDU
SCLIONATFAF

22

There is a national plan on ICT in education, but few
education sector workers have been trained in theuse of ICTs to deliver better educational services.

RELE
VA

ICES
RV

SCORE:

LINE S AFETYNOCONTENT & SETN

2The government has launched an SMS campaignand service to deliver sexual and reproductive healthinformation and counselling to adolescents. Thereis no data available on the percentage of women inMozambique with access to digital financial services.

SCORE:

3Legal guidance on online gender-based violenceis lacking and law enforcement agencies seldom
act on the issue. A cybercrime law is in place. Theconstitution protects personal data privacy, but recent
unconfirmed reports of secret mass surveillance arecause for concern.

CLOSING THE GENDER GAP: A 5 POINT ACTION PLAN
1

ROLL OUT PUBLIC ACCESS FOR WOMEN. Institute free ICT access at local health centres,
libraries and women’s employment centres, supporting women to access and use technology in safe,
supportive and accessible public spaces.

2INTRODUCE DATA ALLOWANCES. Consider introducing a free monthly data allowance inMozambique, with particular priority for women and girls.

3

INTEGRATE DIGITAL SKILLS IN NATIONAL EDUCATION CURRICULA. Ensure that
all national education initiatives incorporate training on ICTs, from primary to tertiary levels.

4

CREATE WOMEN’S DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES. Create public educational
initiatives to train women and girls on using information and communication technology (ICT) to support
their access to vital information and services related to education, livelihoods, rights and wellbeing.

5END ONLINE GENDER BASED VIOLENCE. Government should approve appropriate policies
and strategies that address online violence and harassment, and protect women and girls online. Thisincludes sensitising politicians and society in general on the appropriate frameworks to guarantee rights
and safety online.

PROJECT OVERVIEWThe United Nations recently
made gender-equitable access to
information and communications
technologies (ICTs) central to theSustainable Development Goals(SDGs), which set the global
development agenda until 2030.
Why? ICTs are powerful. They can help todeliver improved healthcare, quality education
for all, financial inclusion, more accountablegovernment, and much more. In adopting theSDGs, all countries have pledged to prioritise
universal Internet access, and to use ICTs toempower women.
But much hard work lies ahead if weare to translate this vision into reality. A
formidable gender gap in Internet access,digital skills and online rights exists - our
Women’s Rights Online research shows that inmany communities, women are 50% less likely

than men to be online and 30-50% less likely
to use the Internet for economic and politicalempowerment. Women face many barriers including high costs, lack of know-how, and ascarcity of relevant and empowering content as well as social and legal obstacles to speaking
freely and privately online.
The Web Foundation and partners have
prepared these gender audits to help countries
assess what they need to do to overcome
the gender digital divide. Science Innovation
Information and Communication Technology
Research Institute (SIITRI) has taken thelead, in consultation with other national
stakeholders, on identifying concrete steps
that government can take in the next year toaddress the challenges and gaps identified.
We hope that this report card and action planwill spark debate and galvanise policy change.

A NOTE ON METHODOLOGY:
We based our scores on 14 simple indicators for which reliable empirical evidence exists,and grading was done in the second quarter of 2016. See the accompanying overview
for a description of the indicators and sources used. A full methodology is available onour website.

Produced in collaboration with:

With support from: