About REFORMAR

REFORMAR - Research for Mozambique is a research, training, and advocacy organization with the objective of promoting Human Rights in the field of criminal justice in Mozambique and other Portuguese-speaking countries.

REFORMAR recognizes that:

Human Rights in criminal justice systems are constantly violated;
the defense and promotion of Human Rights in criminal justice presupposes evidence-based research;
the importance of constant training and capacity building for all actors working in the criminal justice sector to broaden knowledge and change behaviors; and
reforms are based on the development of laws, policies, and practices.

REFORMAR's work is anchored in international, regional, and national law. REFORMAR works in partnership with local organizations, ensuring mutual learning and growth. Whenever possible, REFORMAR supports reforms in partnership with stakeholders to ensure local ownership of progress and the transfer of skills.

REFORMAR works in several languages but ensures that, at the international and regional levels, events take into account the importance of the Portuguese language, and that documents are always translated into Portuguese, to facilitate interaction between the Lusophone public and the majority of African, Anglophone, and Francophone countries.

Who We Are

Tina Lorizzo

Tina Lorizzo is the Director of REFORMAR. She holds a PhD in Public Law from the University of Cape Town and a Master's degree in Criminology from the same university, focusing on the rule of law and human rights-based approaches to criminal justice reform.

With over a decade of experience in Mozambique and Southern Africa, Tina Lorizzo has developed landmark work in the areas of criminal justice, human rights, access to justice, and prison reform, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups, including women and children in conflict with the law. She is an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of the Western Cape in South Africa and lectures on human rights applied to the criminal justice system at Mozambican academic institutions. Simultaneously, she is a research associate on the Africa Criminal Justice Reform project at the Dullah Omar Institute of UWC, where she contributes to studies on justice systems in Portuguese-speaking African countries.

Throughout her career, she has led and participated in numerous consultancies and projects funded by international organizations, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Office for Children (UNICEF), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), as well as governmental bodies such as the International Law Organization for Development (IDLO) and the European Union, with a focus on initiatives in the areas of combating corruption, juvenile justice, transnational organized crime, and penal system reform. She is the author of several academic publications and technical reports on criminal justice in Mozambique. Among her most recent works are the article "Challenges and Perspectives of Female Incarceration in Mozambique: A Legal-Social Approach" published by the academic journal Onãti and the book "Community Courts and Postcolonial Legal Pluralism: Criminal Justice in Mozambique" published by Routledge.

Lourenço Valter Inocêncio Sigaúque

Lourenço Valter Inocêncio Sigaúque is a researcher in the field of criminal justice in Mozambique, focusing on applied research, the production of technical knowledge, and support for justice system reform processes, with an emphasis on human rights and vulnerable groups.

He holds a degree in Criminal Psychology and has developed his professional career at the intersection of the justice system, child protection, and social reintegration, combining intensive empirical work with qualitative analysis geared towards public policy. Between 2021 and 2024, he joined REFORMAR as a researcher, participating in leading national studies in the areas of female incarceration, juvenile justice, gender-based violence (GBV), and criminal responsibility associated with drug use. He has extensive experience working in penitentiary establishments, juvenile rehabilitation centers, and community settings, with direct interaction with children and young people in conflict with the law and other vulnerable groups. Lourenço Sigauque also contributed to the development of technical publications and national reference studies, most notably the book "A Portrait of Children and Minors Deprived of Liberty in the Boane Juvenile Recovery Establishment," published by Gala-Gala Edições.

At the same time, he has been involved in the development of training modules and the capacity building of actors in the justice system, including magistrates, trainee lawyers, and professionals in the social sector, consolidating his role in the articulation between knowledge production and technical transfer. His work has been characterized by the articulation between field research and critical reflection, contributing to the strengthening of more inclusive, evidence-based approaches aligned with human rights standards in the Mozambican justice system.

Elisa Francisco Machoe

Elisa Machoe is a research intern at REFORMAR. Graduated in Law from Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), she completed an internship at the Institute of Legal Aid and Assistance (IPAJ), where she deepened her knowledge of alternative forms of conflict resolution, with a special focus on mediation of family cases and various litigations. As a research intern at REFORMAR, she has dedicated herself to studying the legal gaps that weaken the protection of women in conflict with the law and in vulnerable situations. Committed to social justice, she believes in a more inclusive legal system capable of promoting equality and dignity.

Ilídio Samuel Nhantumbo

Ilídio Samuel Nhantumbo is a researcher and analyst in the field of political science, democracy, and human rights, with experience in applied research, program management, and analysis of political and institutional processes in Mozambique.

He is an external collaborator at REFORMAR, where he conducts research focused on public policies in the areas of democratic governance, human rights, and the functioning of institutions. He holds a Master's degree in Political Science from the University of Georgia (USA) and in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University in Massachusetts (USA), and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the Higher Institute of International Relations (ISRI) in Mozambique. Throughout his career, he has worked as a Program Officer and Grants Manager at the Center for Democracy and Development (CDD), responsible for implementing programs on democracy, elections, human rights, and youth participation, including coordinating election observation initiatives and monitoring political violence. He also has experience in international cooperation and local governance, having worked with organizations such as HELVETAS, Christian Aid, Trócaire, and United Nations offices.

Simultaneously, he is active as a lecturer at higher education institutions in Mozambique. He is the author of several academic and political analysis publications, most notably the article "Political Illiteracy Among Literate Mozambicans" published in the book Challenges of Mozambique 2018.