Zambezia: Panthera inspires girls through capoeira
"She inspires me every day to keep going, to dream again, and to see that I can build a better life."
Zambézia, Mozambique - In Zambézia Province, capoeira is helping adolescent girls rebuild confidence, find their voice, and imagine a future beyond violence and child marriage. Through the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage, Panthera, a female capoeira instructor from Maputo, has joined programme activities to inspire greater participation among girls and strengthen the role of positive female leadership.
The initiative builds on the successful experience of 2025 in the Pebane District, where the presence of a female instructor helped increase girls’ engagement, confidence, and retention in programme activities. Beyond technical guidance, Panthera offers girls a powerful example of representation, encouraging those rescued from violence and child marriage to participate actively and see new possibilities for themselves
Her presence is expected to strengthen the quality of capoeira sessions, enhance learning experiences, and build the confidence and capacity of local facilitators.
In addition to working closely with girls rescued from violence and child marriage, Panthera will mentor trainee monitors, many of whom face challenges in sustaining participation and delivering activities effectively. By demonstrating practical approaches and strengthening their technical and facilitation skills, the initiative seeks to support more sustainable programme implementation at the community level.
This approach reflects a commitment to adaptive programming, responding to identified challenges with targeted solutions that promote inclusion, participation, and quality.
By investing in female leadership and role models, the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage continues to advance its goals of empowering girls, fostering safe spaces for engagement, and strengthening community-based systems that support adolescent development and well-being.
The UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage is generously funded by the Governments of Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom, as well as Zonta International. Launched in 2016, the programme works in 12 high-prevalence or high-burden countries, including Mozambique, to promote the rights of adolescent girls and accelerate action to end child marriage.
