RSM conducts a community survey about family planning and gender-based violence

Mozambique's Northern Provinces of Nampula, Cabo Delgado, and Niassa are host to some of the nation's highest poverty rates which have been compounded by recent political instability. These challenges have been contributing factors regarding Mozambique's high rates of premature marriage / premature pregnancy as well as other forms of gender-based violence. For example, as many as 24% of Mozambican women between the ages of 18-49 have reported that they have experienced physical violence in their lifetime (Data from IMASIDA, 2015). In addition, as many as 50% of girls between the ages of 15-17 in these provinces are already married (Data from UNFPA/INE).

As part of RSM's Development Consulting services, our local researchers set out in rural and urban settings in these provinces to better understand girls' knowledge, attitudes, and practices with regards to family planning and gender based violence. The goal of this research activity was to help our client to influence this population more effectively during their upcoming programming and to establish baseline values for measuring girls' beliefs about these topics.

The results of the survey were both powerful and insightful. In the words of our in-house qualitative researcher (who was responsible for interviewing parents, religious leaders, community leaders, and nurses across all three provinces), ''This research taught me what it feels like to be in these girls' shoes and to see the world through their experiences. This made it easier for me to understand these phenomena in my country."

For more information about what Development Consulting service line of RSM Mozambique can offer you, get in touch via email [email protected] ou via telephone +258 844 141 138.