National Member of Parliament MP Anastacia da Costa S. Amaral said the Gender Focal Point in the Municipalities, mobilized by the government, lack real programs to work with the community to promote gender equality in the rural areas.
“The gender focal points only mobilize at the base and lack understanding about their proper role in assisting people, in particular rural women a voice that is carried to the national level,” said MP Amaral. “I don’t think they have a clear program, some say, we just mobilize here and don’t know what to do afterwards.”
The MP urged the government to look at the policy carefully, rather than just spending large sums of money that in the end does not benefit communities.
In response to the concern, the National Director of the Gender Policy at the Secretariat of State for Women Socio-Economic Support (SEPASEM) Henrique da Silva acknowledged that the focal points still lack knowledge on the gender issues and some have no gender background.
“The focal points have an important role, to support the municipality gender working group and promote gender equality at the municipality level,” he said.
According to the National Director, this year SEPASEM will provide training and purchase 13 vehicles to facilitate the work of the focal points’ in order to be more effective.
“Lack of transport is often an obstacle, when raising awareness on the Domestic Violence Law to the rural community areas that are more remote.”
