Abstract
Luísa Diogo, prime minister of Mozambique from 2004 to 2010, was the first female head of state in Lusophone Africa. When she was appointed in February of 2004, Mozambique, no longer a one-party state, was moving firmly in the direction of democratic consolidation as a post-transition democracy. I suggest that Diogo may have been a beneficiary, perhaps directly and indirectly, of the efforts of women to change/challenge gender norms during the struggle for independence and beyond. The success of the challenges to gender norms directly shaped the gendered power relations within party organizations, cultural and political norms and views of women who participate in the decision-making process. Thus while the Mozambican state has articulated a commitment to gender symmetry, the above factors have shaped Diogo’s tenure as prime minister. Although Diogo had some success in shoring up the gender machinery and formulating policies, their implementation continues to be hampered by cultural norms and circumscribed by adherence to party line.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bauer, G., & Okpotor, F. (2013). ‘Her excellency’: An exploratory overview of women cabinet ministers in Africa. Africa Today, 60(1), 77–97.
Bauer, G., & Tremblay, M. (2011). Introduction. In G. Bauer & M. Tremblay (Eds.), Women in executive power: A global overview (pp. 1–9). Abingdon: Routledge.
Constituição da República de Moçambique. (1990). Maputo, Mozambique.
Diogo, L. D. (2006). Post-conflict Mozambique’s reconstruction: A transferable strategy in Africa (English). [online] Africa Region findings, no. 260. Washington, DC: World Bank. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2006/03/7046827/post-conflict-mozambiques-reconstruction-transferable-strategy-africa
Gender Links. (2011). Gender and media in the 2009 Mozambique elections. [online] Gender Links for Equality and Justice. Retrieved February 12, 2016, from http://www.genderlinks.org.za/article/gender-and-media-in-the-2009-mozambique-elections-2011-06-16
Glennester, R. (2016, January 4). #I Look like a Policy Economist. Running REs, [blog]. Retrieved February 12, 2016, from http://runningres.com/blog/2016/1/4/i-look-like-a-policy-economist
Henderson, F. (2011). Diogo, Luísa Dias. In H. L. Gates & E. K. Akyeampong (Eds.), Dictionary of African biography, Volume 2: Brath-Haile (pp. 208–209). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hughes, M. M., & Tripp, A. M. (2015). Civil war and trajectories of change in women’s political representation in Africa, 1985–2010. Social Forces, 93(4), 1513–1540.
Institute for Security Studies Africa (ISSA). 2015. Mozambique. [online]. Retrieved February 16, 2016, from https://www.issafrica.org/af/profiles/mozambique/politics.html
Jacobson, R. (1995). Women’s political participation: Mozambique’s democratic transition. Gender & Development, 3(3), 29–35.
Jalalzai, F. (2010). Women rule: Shattering the executive glass ceiling. Politics & Gender, 4(2), 205–231.
Jalalzai, F., & Krook, M. L. (2010). Beyond Hillary and Benazir: Women’s political leadership worldwide. International Political Science Review, 31(1), 5–21.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). (2014). Country gender profile: Republic of Mozambique. JICA. Maputo: Mozambique.
Ministry of Women and Social Action, Republic of Mozambique. (2014). Beijing+20 Mozambique report on the implementation of the declaration and platform for action. [pdf] Maputo: Ministry of Women and Social Action. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.unwomen.org/~/media/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/CSW/59/National_reviews/Mozambique_review_en_Beijing20.pdf
Moran, M. H., & Pitcher, M. A. (2004). The ‘basket case’ and the ‘poster child’: Explaining the end of civil conflicts in Liberia and Mozambique. Third World Quarterly, 25(3), 501–519.
Mozambique News Agency. (2006, September 28). AIM Report No. 327. Mozambique News Agency, AIM Reports [online]. Retrieved September 26, 2015, from http://www.poptel.org.uk/mozambique-news/newsletter/aim327.html
Norbrook, N. (2009, March 23). Interview: Luisa Diogo, prime minister of Mozambique. The Africa Report. [online]. Retrieved September 1, 2015, from http://www.theafricareport.com/Sectors/interview-luisa-diogo-prime-minister-of-mozambiqueresponsible-for-breaking-multiple-glass-ceilings-for-women-in-mozambique-prime-minister-diogo-is-also-the-lynchpin-of-relations-with-donors-wi.html
Nuvunga, A. (2005). Multiparty democracy in Mozambique: Strengths, weaknesses and challenges. Johannesburg: EISA.
Nzegwu, N. (2007). The indomitable Luisa Dias Diogo. JENDA: A Journal of Culture and African Women Studies, 10, 2–8.
O’Barr, J. (1984). African women in politics. In M. Hay & S. Stichter (Eds.), African women south of the Sahara (pp. 140–155). London: Longman.
Organization of Mozambican Women (OMM). (1980). Informative bulletin. Maputo: OMM.
Osorio, C. (2005). Political power in Mozambique and women’s activism. In B. D. S. Santos (Ed.), Democratizing democracy beyond the liberal democratic canon (pp. 132–156). London: Verso.
Osorio, C. (2007). Subverting political power? Gender analysis of the 2004 legislative elections in Mozambique. Maputo: WLSA Mozambique.
Sheldon, K. (2002). Pounders of grain: A history of women, work, and politics in Mozambique. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). (2007). A profile on gender relations update 2006: Towards gender equality in Mozambique. [pdf] Sweden: Department for Democracy and Social Development. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.sida.se/contentassets/1552cf8430dc496ebed891e4ee3297d5/towards-gender-equality-in-mozambique_693.pdf
Tripp, A., Casimiro, I., Kwesiga, J., & Mungwa, A. (2009). African women’s movements: Transforming political landscapes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Print.
Tvedten, I., Paulo, M. and Mosterratt, G. (2008). Gender policies and feminisation of poverty in Mozambique. [pdf] Bergen, Norway: Chr. Michelsen Institute. Retrieved February 15, 2016, from http://www.cmi.no/publications/file/3326-gender-policies-and-feminisation-of-poverty-in.pdf
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2015). 2015 Human development report. [pdf] New York: UNDP. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2015_human_development_report.pdf
Urdang, S. (1984). Women in national liberation movements. In M. Hay & S. Stichter (Eds.), African women south of the Sahara (pp. 156–159). London: Longman.
Urdang, S. (1989). And still they dance: Women, war, and the struggle for change in Mozambique. New York: Monthly Review Press.
Valy, B. (2005, November 1). Mozambique, a well-planned transition. Southern African Research and Documentation Centre, [online]. Retrieved September 29, 2015, from http://www.sardc.net/en/southern-african-news-features/mozambique-a-well-planned-transition/
World Bank. (2015). The World Bank indicators. [online] Retrieved February 15, 2016, from http://databank.worldbank.org/data/home.aspx
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2017 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Henderson, F.B. (2017). Luísa Dias Diogo: Gender and Political Leadership in Mozambique. In: Montecinos, V. (eds) Women Presidents and Prime Ministers in Post-Transition Democracies. Palgrave Studies in Political Leadership. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-48240-2_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-48240-2_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-48239-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-48240-2
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)