Working closely with women's organisations throughout Bolivia, WOMANKIND helps support a wealth of initiatives which recognise and address the many concerns and aspirations of some of the country's most disadvantaged women. Our new programme (2006-2009) will build on this knowledge and experience, while continuing close cooperation with our partners has helped us identify three key areas that provide the focus:
- The promotion of women's human rights: particularly sexual and reproductive rights
- The protection of women: campaigning to raise awareness of - and end violence against women
- The participation of women: creating supportive networks to encourage women's leadership and full participation in the decision making process at all levels
Violence against women is widespread throughout Bolivia and is a persistent legacy of patriarchy and the culture of machismo. Despite the country's introduction of Law 1674: Against Family or Domestic Violence, many of Bolivia's women remain ignorant of its protections. Giving women the knowledge and information they need is a vital part of our programme to promote women's rights and freedoms. In addition, information on Law 1674 will be given to the Police, local authorities and women's organisations to help spread the message that violence against women is against Bolivia's laws. The Global Women's March provides a focus for further dissemination of the message, while various media activities help continue to raise awareness amongst decision makers the Vice Ministry of Women, local authorities, the police and legislative bodies - and women themselves.
Many rural Bolivian women experience severe social, civic and political exclusion, preventing them from taking a full and active part in their own lives and that of their communities and country. A lack of formal ID papers and other official documentation combines with illiteracy and an inability to speak Spanish, to keep most of the country's poorest, most marginalised women isolated. Creating supportive local networks which run rights-awareness training workshops at grassroots level, gives Bolivia's women the information they need to exercise their rights and help shape policies that best reflect their own needs and concerns. Helping them develop their own leadership abilities enables local women to make their voices heard and call for genuine change on those issues that directly impact on their lives.
Plans for the future
In the long term, WOMANKIND's programme in Bolivia will help create an autonomous network of women?s organisations - Mothers' Centres and Women's Associations - whose members have the skills and knowledge to take active leadership roles within their communities. Such skills will enable women to fully participate in, and influence, decision making regarding local spending on health and education, and to continue to raise awareness of issues regarding violence against women.
By giving rights-awareness training to today's young female university students, our partnership programme helps build tomorrow's women leaders. And by providing training on the implementation of Law 1674 to those responsible for enforcing it, we help create more equal access to a law designed to protect women against violence.
The media will play an important part in the programme, helping raise awareness of - and challenging - attitudes and behaviours within Bolivian society which discriminate against women; and increasing public commitment to end all forms of violence against women.
Our Partners
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