Cultural practices, gender perspective and children's rights: a case study in Mozambique

This article aims to analyze the practices of initiation rites and lobolo from a gender perspective and violation of the rights of minors. From the methodological point of view, a cross-sectional qualitative approach was used with the participation of 18 initiates, 17 key informants, and 5 professionals through individual interviews. The results of the study showed that the practices of initiation rites and lobolo are essential in the construction of individual and collective identities, reinforce social cohesion in an intrafamily and community context, and are a school that prepares people for sexual, social and marital life. The content analysis of the verbal reports made it possible to conclude that there is an influence of the rituals, specifically of the teachings related to these practices as preponderant in the structuring, instrumentalization, and naturalization of gender violence and the violation of the rights of minors.