Mozambique's absence of laws criminalizing LGBTQ+ identities is often cited as evidence of tolerance, but activists say the country's transgender people and lesbian and bisexual women experience pervasive discrimination in schools, workplaces, health facilities, religious spaces, and online. Rather than legal persecution, activists said, exclusion operates through silence, invisibility, and institutional neglect.
In schools, curricula remain "profoundly heteronormative" with little space for discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity, according to activists. Officials have removed references to sexual orientation from school materials, activists said, creating environments where LGBTQ+ students face bullying and psychological violence. Many teachers receive little or no training in diversity and inclusion, said Pepetsa Fumo, a trans activist with Transform, an organization working for trans recognition in Mozambique. These educational barriers extend into adulthood, limiting employment and economic opportunities, Fumo noted.
Many trans people and lesbian and bisexual women face obstacles to formal employment and professional training. Community initiatives like Por Ela, which supports lesbian and bisexual women-led businesses, attempt to address economic vulnerability, but activists said such efforts face structural barriers including limited funding and dependence on external support.
In health care, trans communities have gained greater visibility in HIV and AIDS programs following years of advocacy, but activists questioned the language used in policy. Lesbian and bisexual women remain largely absent from health programs, and many health professionals receive little training on their specific needs, activists said. Violence against lesbian women is often recorded only as gender-based violence, they added, without considering whether sexual orientation motivated the attack.
Digital platforms have become essential for organizing and raising awareness within queer communities, but they also expose activists to online harassment, surveillance, and hate speech. Activists said that as debates on digital governance gain prominence in Mozambique, officials should include discussions of freedom of expression, privacy, and civic participation alongside technological development and security.
