Women's Access to Social Security Schemes in Mozambique: Rethinking the Social Security Legal Framework in gender terms. (R-9001)

This study seeks to produce a legal analysis aimed at testing the current Mozambican non-contributory social security system for its availability and its adequacy to secure lifecycle vulnerability of women. Systems of social security enable societies to advance the well-being and security of their citizens by protecting them from vulnerability and deprivation so that they can pursue a decent life. International agendas mainly push general gender policies and typically imply the risk of designing legal systems that do not relate to national economic and socio-cultural realities. Today, more than ever, it is important to keep an eye on the social security law framework in Mozambique as the recent discovery of natural resources in important quantities raises an expectation of massive income generation in the future. This generation of income will lead to a fiscal space that will enable the State to better finance social security. This idea has also been substantiated by the speech of his Excellency UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon who stated that: "More than 50 % of Mozambique's population lives below the poverty line. But the country also has a wealth of natural resources. It is essential that these are managed wisely and transparently for the benefit of all." The study combines both the legal and the social sciences research methodology. The legal research methodology is based on binding legal instruments, including the Mozambican Constitution, national legislation and ratified international instruments as well as regulations and policies approved by the Government of Mozambique and its Ministries. A comparative analysis is conducted between the domestic legal provisions and the international human rights standards, in particular those relating to gender. The social sciences research method is based on expert interviews which take place in Mozambique. Expert interviews turned out to be the most suitable method for this research, compared to other methods since it offers rapid access to a new and unknown field. Essentially, it allows to look at how the law is implemented in the field. This helps to better understand the gender dynamics.

Keywords:Human Rights, Social Law

Disciplines:Law