Women and DDR in Mozambique

The document analyzes the role of women in Mozambique's conflicts and their subsequent treatment in DDR programs. It argues that while the 2019 Maputo Accord's DDR process is more inclusive than the 1992 program due to a three-pillar approach (individual, family, and community), women remain recipients of support rather than decision-makers. The authors highlight a persistent lack of female representation in peace negotiations and DDR design, which they argue undermines the transformative potential of these processes.

• The 1992 DDR program largely excluded women from both its design and implementation, failing to address the specific needs of girls and female ex-combatants.
• In the UNOMOZ-led demobilization process following the 1992 agreement, women represented a very small fraction of recognized combatants, with only 1,380 women out of 92,881 total.
• The 2019 DDR program is more inclusive than the 1992 version because it utilizes a three-pillar structure—individual, family, and community—which allows women who did not possess weapons to benefit from socio-economic support.
• Despite improvements in the 2019 process, women remain excluded from decision-making and planning; only one woman, Arsénia Massingue, participated in the Maputo peace negotiations.
• The 2019 DDR process primarily targets women who used arms, excluding those who participated indirectly in the conflict from direct reintegration support.

APA

Palik, J., & Cossa, S. M. D. (2023). Women and DDR in Mozambique. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/77c9b09d-5078-4616-8799-9c0aa91475ac/Cossa and Palik - Women and DDR in Mozambique GPS Policy Brief 1-2023.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Palik, Júlia, and Sheila Marcela Dinis Cossa. Women and DDR in Mozambique. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2023. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/77c9b09d-5078-4616-8799-9c0aa91475ac/Cossa and Palik - Women and DDR in Mozambique GPS Policy Brief 1-2023.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Palik |first1=Júlia |last2=Cossa |first2=Sheila Marcela Dinis |title=Women and DDR in Mozambique |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2023 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/77c9b09d-5078-4616-8799-9c0aa91475ac/Cossa and Palik - Women and DDR in Mozambique GPS Policy Brief 1-2023.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{palik2023women, author = {Palik, Júlia and Cossa, Sheila Marcela Dinis}, title = {{Women and DDR in Mozambique}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2023}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/77c9b09d-5078-4616-8799-9c0aa91475ac/Cossa and Palik - Women and DDR in Mozambique GPS Policy Brief 1-2023.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }