Box 3.7: Good Practice in Gender Representation in Parliament 29 In Africa, Mozambique has the second highest number of women in the General Assembly, at 38 per cent. This has been attributed to the high level of commitment to promote gender equality, even at party level, where quotas are set aside for women. In its governing statutes, FRELIMO has set aside a quota of 35 per cent for its female members. 415. The MMAS is accountable to the Council of Ministers for the achievement of its set goals. There is a Cabinet of General Assembly Women and a General Assembly Women’s Caucus. The MMAS is working towards increasing the number of women in decision-making roles and of programmes to empower women economically. Various projects to benefit women, such as income-generating activities, are being developed by the National Institute of Social Welfare, as well as adult literacy and education programmes in conjunction with the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC). 416. The National Council for the Advancement of Women (CNAM) has been set up to guarantee that the National Gender Policy is fully implemented, and this is replicated at the provincial level. The CNAM’s objective is to promote gender equality. It comprises women from diverse backgrounds in the private sector, the government and NGOs. It undertakes situational analyses of women’s welfare in order to give assistance. In Beira, the CNAM has undertaken several activities, such as offering support to women inmates, orphans and vulnerable children and raising awareness of women’s rights. 417. The women’s movement is very vibrant in Mozambique. The African Protocol on the Rights of Women was debated by women’s organisations and civil society in order to mobilise consensus. There is also a Women’s Forum chaired by the Minister of the MMAS, which brings together a pressure group of women in academia, civil society and the private sector that works with the government to advance gender equity. Challenges to the Realisation of Women’s Rights 418. Despite progress made in the promotion of women’s rights and welfare, women remain highly discriminated against and marginalised, especially at community and family level. The further away from the urban centres, the fewer women there are who participate in effective governance mechanisms. This is aggravated by the poor development of communication and dissemination of information. Discrimination manifests in several forms of violence, as discussed below. 29 Field notes, Mozambique, 7 February to 2 March 2009. 146 A P R M COU N T RY R EV IEW R EP ORT NO. 11