Reaching Rural Women via Radio
According to the results of the study “Assessment of Needs and Demands for Training and Capacity-Building on Governance and Women’s Political Participation at the Local Level”, women elected in local governments need more information regarding national and international legal frameworks. Based on these findings, UN-INSTRAW developed the radio program “Equity in Local Power” in Bolivia, in this way facilitating the access of women elected in municipalities in rural areas of Bolivia to specialized information.
The programme (which includes a series of interviews with experts on the subjects of gender, councilwomen, mayoresses, and representatives from both women’s organisations and state bodies) had the support of radio Onda Local, Enlared, ACOBOL and the Communications Unit of the Federation of Municipal Associations of Bolivia (FAM BOLIVIA).
Local Female Bolivian Leaders Bring Back the Importance of Shared Learning
According to the elected women who participated in the “Survey for Training and Communication in Support of Elected Women’s Political Participation in Local Government in Bolivia”, the political training courses have not as yet yielded the desired results.
The survey, developed for UN-INSTRAW by Cordillera University, indicates that the training and capacity-building processes have not been sufficiently sensitive towards the population to whom they are directed. It is necessary to take into account the differences in location (urban or rural areas), class, ethnicity, language and gender in order to reach different audiences with varying educational requirements.
On the other hand, daily experience is identified as the most important source of knowledge when it comes to performance in the political sphere. The study recommends that women in local governments be the actors, promoters and beneficiaries of training courses, which will enable the return of so-called shared learning.
On the basis of these results, in mid 2008 the “Strengthening Governance from a Gender Perspective and Women's Political Participation at the Local Level in Latin America” project has initiated a series of learning pathways in which the protagonists will be the women from municipal governments and the knowledge will be generated through experience. This will happen via direct contact with councilwomen and mayoresses, among other actors, and visits to the municipalities.
Women confront political violence by way of an Agreement between Bolivia and Ecuador
Bolivia is the leading country in Latin America in its fight against gender-related violence in the political sphere. It was the first to introduce the Law against Political Violence and Harassment, an example that other countries now want to follow. In March of 2008, the Association of Women in Municipal Government of Ecuador (AMUME) signed an agreement with the Association of Councilwomen of Bolivia (ACOBOL) in order to coordinate awareness actions in the face of political violence at the Latin American level.
Within the framework of the project “Strengthening Governance from a Gender Perspective and Women's Political Participation at the Local Level in Latin America”, UN-INSTRAW supported the workshop “Equity in Local Power: Strengthening Governance and Women’s Political Participation”, the event at which the agreement between the two countries was officially signed.
A Virtual Portal to Report Harassment and Political Violence
 With the support of UN-INSTRAW, in March of 2008 the ACOBOL portal was officially launched. Through it, women can report violent acts and follow up on the authorities’ responses.
|
Audio from Radio Programs by Topic
1.Legal Framework:
Interviews
 Dra. María Elena Burgos, consultora legal
Patricia Choque, Confederación de Mujeres Campesinas
Bartolina Sisa
Lic. Elba Zeballos, Coordinadora de la Mujer
2. Harassment and Political Violence in
Bolivia:
Interviews
Gloria Aguilar y María Eugenia Rojas, de ACOBOL,
María Eugenia Quispe, concejala
Elizabeth Salguero, diputada
3. Political Violence in
Ecuador - A Repeat of the Bolivian Experience:
Interviews
Margarita Carranco, presidenta AMUME
Dra. Irene Pesantes, asesora política AMUME
Elizabeth Salguero, diputada boliviana
4. Political Participation and Democracy:
Interviews
Gloria Ardaya, investigadora
Margarita Carranco, presidenta AMUME
Micheline Caron, representante FCM
Nicolás Galetti, Derechos y Democracia
Guido Rivero, presidente FBDM
5. Political Rights:
Interviews
Lic. Betty Pinto, representante Defensor del Pueblo
Dra. María Elena Burgos, consultora legal
Pamela Calla, Universidad Cordillera
6.
Leadership and Participation:
Interviews
Ana María Encina, presidenta ACOBOL
Celima Torrico, Ministra de Justicia
Aydee Nava, alcaldesa de Sucre
7. Municipal Management
Interviews
Richard Paz y Gonzalo Calisaya, Ministerio de Hacienda
Bertha Acarapi, concejala de El Alto
Betty Zenteno, concejala de Sabaya
Rosario Vaca, concejala de Cobija
8. National Results Presentation Workshop:
.
Interviews
María Eugenia Rojas, Gerente de ACOBOL
Patricia Henrríquez, Vicepresidenta de Amume
Claudia Ranaboldo, Coordinadora del proyecto para la Región Andina
|
