FOLLOW EXAMPLE OF JOSINA MACHEL, GUEBUZA URGES

Mozambican President Armando Guebuza on Thursday urged young Mozambicans to follow the example of Josina Machel, a heroine of the national liberation struggle, who in her short life had agreed to personal sacrifices in pursuit of the freedom and well-being of the people.Guebuza was speaking at the ceremonies marking Mozambican Women’s Day, and the 40th anniversary of the death of Josina Machel. He stressed that celebrating the life and work of Josina Machel is also an opportunity to reflect on the dreams that guide the Mozambican youth of today.“It is an opportunity for young people to ask themselves how alive and burning this spirit of serving the people remains within them, and what more they can do to defeat poverty in this country of heroes”, Guebuza declared.At Chilembene, Guebuza addressed a rally, and inaugurated a monument in memory of Josina Machel. The monument, he said, “is a symbol of the greatness of this national heroine and of Mozambican women in their struggle for their own emancipation”.“But we recognise that this monument is insufficient to express our gratitude for what Josina did for Mozambican women, and for what Mozambican women have done for this very special people”, he said.7 April, the anniversary of Josina Machel’s death, was proclaimed Mozambican Women’s Day in recognition of her role in the struggle for women’s emancipation. Josina was one of the founders of the Women’s Detachment in the guerrilla army of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo). She chose to become a guerrilla rather than continue her studies, turning down the scholarship which the first President of Frelimo, Eduardo Mondlane, had arranged for her in Switzerland.“Today we celebrate the gains made by Mozambican women”, stressed Guebuza. “On this day we remember the long, difficult and complex path that Mozambican women have travelled in the journey to their full emancipation”.Despite the advances made, women still have little decision making power in family matters, face gender violence, are the least educated part of society, and are worse hit than men by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.Guebuza insisted on the need to redouble efforts, just as those who fought colonialism did, in order to overcome these challenges.