CDIMA project

Project:     Indigenous Women Exercising Their Rights to a Life Free From Violence

Location:     Bolivia

Duration:     2010-2013

Partner:     Centro de Desarrollo Integral de la Mujer Aymara “Amuyt’a” (CDIMA)

Bolivian woman

The Situation

Violence against women is a pervasive and under-reported problem in Bolivia.

• According to the National Statistical Institute, in 2003 64% of women were the target of some form of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse from their partner.
• Also, according to the UNDP (2006), more than 60% of the population in Bolivia is indigenous (mainly Aymara), and have been traditionally excluded from access to education, depriving them of their right to develop in full.

This prevents women from having equal access to resources and consequently from access to positions of power, thereby perpetuating poverty and exclusion. Although the government has taken some important steps to combat domestic violence, police brigades lack financial and structural support as well as trained personnel to follow up and pursue all reported cases.
 

What Womankind is doing

Womankind and our partner are aiming to decrease the prevalence of all forms of violence against indigenous women in the municipality of Mocomoco – a rural area surrounding La Paz, where the project is based.

With our partners we are:

• Training 746 indigenous women’s leaders to be able to participate meaningfully in politics and challenge discrimination.
• Establishing  7 Women Free from Violence Committees led by 50 women who will collect and analyse information on indigenous and peasant women’s political participation; track of incidents of violence against women
• Raising awareness of 10,000 members of the general public on violence against women
• Increasing understanding of 275 decision makers to take positive action to prevent political violence against women.

What we have achieved so far

• Met with 299 local leaders in the regions in order to challenge violence against women and harmful traditional practices.
• Trained 385 indigenous women on women rights and leadership skills

Women’s voices

“I now know about divorce and that you can leave, I know that people cannot treat you badly, or discriminate against you, or hit you. I have more courage… I talk without fear, before I was always afraid to talk and ask questions. And before when I went into an office, I was ashamed to say I was divorced or a single mother, but now I know that I am free (I am not ashamed), I can go to whatever place I like, without fear. That is it – I am not afraid.” Nelly, who attended a Mother’s Centre run by another of Womankind’s Bolivian partners, Fundacion La Paz