Training workshops focus on empowering women

(MissionNewswire) Through Bosco Global’s “Deconstructing inequality on behalf of the rights of Indigenous women in the province of Muñecas” project, 80 Indigenous women have taken part in training courses in Bolivia. The project is supported by Generalita Valenciana, the government institutions of the Spanish autonomous community of Valencia.

The project, which is taking place in the municipalities of Ayata, Chuma and Aucapata, focuses on empowering women. Two training workshops were organized in February. One workshop focused on “Leadership, self-care and social spaces” and the other on “Shared responsibility in the home.”  The trainings were with the collaboration between Bosco Global and Machaqa Amawta Foundation, along with the Federation of Bartolina Sisa Indigenous Peasant Women.

The training respected the women’s customs and culture and tried to deconstruct stereotypes women face regarding self-esteem and self-care that they perceive as inherent to their situation.

Álvaro Meruvia, technician from the Machaqa Amawta Foundation, said, “We had active participation by the participants in the workshops. They have shown great interest and are able to take what they have learned back to their communities. Given the patriarchal cultural model of their communities, many of the women have not had opportunities for professional or technological development, instead seeing their role reduced to taking care of household chores, livestock or the gardens of their homes.”

Training in leadership, self-care and social spaces contributes to their role as leaders and their participation within communities while strengthening their self-esteem and social skills for the education of future generations. In addition, the workshop on shared responsibility at home analyzed the role that each person plays in their families and communities in order to identify and correct unjust and abusive attitudes resulting from deep-rooted customs and prejudices. In addition to the training activities, the participants were also equipped to establish a self-care space in the Municipality of Aucapata.

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and has the most unequal income distribution on the continent. It is common for Bolivians to struggle to find adequate nutrition, shelter and other basic necessities. The geography of Bolivia contributes to the overwhelming poverty of its residents. Large swaths of the country remain undeveloped with a lack of roads and infrastructure.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS) 

ANS – Bolivia – Special training for indigenous women to achieve gender equality

World Bank – Bolivia

Salesian Missions – Bolivia