The palace has said Queen Mathilde will be in Mozambique from Sunday to Thursday, in her role as United Nations ambassador for Sustainable Development. The Queen will meet local communities and encourage initiative and partnerships that will have a positive impact on the local population’s everyday quality of life.
The Queen will focus on activities that will promote economic independence for women, combat violence against women and improve education and healthcare.
The CNCD 11.11.11 says that half the population in Mozambique lives under the absolute poverty line and half the women there suffer physical or sexual violence, including domestic violence. There is also a worrying increase in girls being harassed at school.
The Queen will meet the Economy and Finance minister Adriano Afonso Maleiane and the Gender, Childhood and Social Action minister Cidália Chaúque Oliveira.
She will also visit the social-cultural association Horizonte Azul, which works to combat violence against women and girls in the suburbs of the capital Maputo. A desalinisation project and an exhibition on the evolution of water in the country are also on the Queen’s agenda.
The hospital in the Chokwé district, specialised in mental healthcare, will also get a royal visit.
Queen Mathilde is also interested in several climate change projects.
At the end of her visit, the Queen will speak at the UEM university in Maputo, where Mozambique’s future with regards to the UN’s sustainable development goals will be discussed.
The Brussels Times
