Security

I've spent the last few days thinking about security.

What does security mean to you, to me, or to other women? I've been concerned about this topic because I realize that security is something very important to me. Every time I have to make decisions, I think about my security and the security of the people around me.

But I also realize that for me, security means the freedom to come and go, knowing that I won't face any problems along the way. In other words, the roads are safe, I won't be robbed, I won't be harassed, and I will be protected.

On another level, security to me is having a home to return to, having a job, having a family, having access to good healthcare services, and knowing that my daughter will grow up in a peaceful environment.

Unfortunately, many of these things are not guaranteed. I can't walk the streets with the certainty that I won't be robbed. I can't get into a taxi with the certainty that I'll reach my destination because, unfortunately, every day the number of kidnappings, femicides, and rapes increases in my country, in my city of Maputo.

Unfortunately, I don't feel safe walking the streets. Hospitals are getting worse every day. Women continue to die in childbirth. I don't feel safe traveling alone, and nowadays, with the terrorism in the north of the country, I can't be sure that my daughter will grow up in a peaceful environment.

But then I caught myself thinking that I might still be considered privileged because I have a job, a family, and a home, while there are so many women who don't have a job, can't provide for their children, and don't have a roof over their heads.

And there are women in my country who, at this very moment, are hiding in the bush, fleeing from terrorists with children in their arms, while others aren't because they've simply lost sight of their families.

In short, I feel that, unfortunately, I can't talk about security in this country. I can't talk about security for myself, for other women, or even for children.

At this point, I would like to know what security means to you and how you feel in your countries.