Angolan Women Organization (O.M.A.)

Secretária Geral, Luzia Inglês Van-Dúnem “Inga”
Adress: National Executive Secretary of OMA, Comandante Gika street, 199, Luanda – Angola
Telefax: +244 (02) 32 09 77
Email: omagsg@snet.co.ao / omasocialjuridico@netangola.com

“United Facing The Challenges Of Third Millennium”

Historical

1962– Year of his creation, at the present Democratic Republic of Congo, by an Angolan Group that was in that neighbor Country, and where MPLA, previously a Movement fighting for the Angolan Independence, had his Direction headquarters.

In that way born the OMA, from the women willingness, in order to organize them in the fighting and ended with the reach of Angolan Independence in November 11th 1975.

During this period OMA has been mobilizing the women to the participation at all national liberty works, from the alphabetization, providing social help to warriors and even taking part at the struggle.

After the Independence, OMA established at the 18 Angola Provinces and have got, now more or less 1,500,000 members in more than 39,000 Base Organization.

As MPLA’s mass Organization, OMA has brightly defended the social position of woman, making pressing repeatedly in order to the accomplishment of the non-discrimination consecrated in the Angolan Constitution Law. As a result of this engagement, it where approved several legal decisions:

• The family Code, in 1988
• It was legislated the equal treatment between children born both inside and outside the marriage
• The massification of Family Planning and Motherhood enjoying License services, between another questions.

Materializing the Third Nairobi’s Women Conference, OMA have to make hard work to the creation of a non-governmental mechanism with the specific function defend the female affairs.

In 1991, the Council of Ministers approved the creation of the Secretary of State for the Women’s promotion and Development that become Ministry in 1998.

Objectives

1. Mobilize and organize women to the realization of MPLA political ideals.
2. Fit and incentive women at the process of their emancipation and in the fight against the discrimination at political, social and economical life.
3. Promote the reflection and change the behaviors and attitudes in order to the equality between women and men.
4. Promote the Peace Culture and defend the Democracy in all National Country.
5. Contribute for the total exercise and obedience to the Human Rights.

Strategies

• Apply work methods and styles, that contribute for best Organization development;
• Fit and mobilize women to national reconstruction efforts at agriculture production fields, short industry, construction and education fronts;
• Promote women changing experiences in the inside and outside development

Intervention Areas

• Social mobilization
• Communitarian development
• Human Rights, Women rights
• Teenage girl help
• Alphabetization
• Gender Violence
• Institutional development

Methodology

• The Methodology used or the activities development is based on the participated discussion in order to change the women groups in responsible and active agents at the communitarian development process.
• The Action Plan is organized in programs, according to the population needs, specially the women and strategies of the organization. It has as model the Dakar, Beijing, SADC recommendations and National Governmental programs.

Present Activity

In 1999 has realized his IIIrd Congress with the heading “United Facing the IIIrd Millennium challenges”, where reaffirmed his MPLA’s female Organization condition.

His bet at social activities comes strengthen, and is working now at the alphabetization program creating “Jangos and alphabetization classes” at big concentration of women places to allow them the possibility of study.

Won in 2000, the National Alphabetization Award in “November, 22ns”.

With the proposal of incentive the participation o women at alphabetization programs had formed “The National Alphabetization Award”.

The defence of Women Rights, especially against violence is at the same way a priority of OMA activities.

In collaboration with another Female Organization, OMA has been organizing, yearly, the “16h Days Campaign of Activism Against the Gender Violence”.

The reactivation of Base Centers, where local female young are learning to sew, cook, the formation about health cares, alphabetization and other jobs, are keeping attention of OMA as well, as it was realized before 2002 with successful because of the adherence to the project.