Current inequalities, discrimination and violence against women are the result of a patriarchal, male chauvinist culture. Since 2013, significant progress has been achieved in Bolivia in terms of laws and institutions. Nevertheless, the right to a “life without violence” is still the right most often infringed in women’s lives. The disparity between cases dealt with and sentences passed by a court is still very large, as only 1.13% cases of violence end with a court sentence.

One challenge is to change male chauvinist cultural norms in society (prevention) and another is the insufficient institutional response (support), which is associated with male chauvinist attitudes among staff, weak coordination and inter-institutional alliances, insufficient staff, and limited budgets and equipment.

The Law to combat violence against women (Law 348) is the principal basis for work on this issue, with a comprehensive approach to protection which involves many actors in the justice sector (police, prosecutors, judges), as well as different levels of government (national and subnational) which are gradually building institutional structures for support services and to punish aggressors.  

Final beneficiaries: women in a situation of violence (40,000) and men whose awareness has been raised (28,000).

The general public, who will benefit from the campaigns to prevent violence against women.

The women’s immediate families (160,000 people).

Direct beneficiaries: staff in public institutions (3,200), authorities and municipal governments in 20 peri-urban and rural municipalities. 

Outcome 1:    Evidence-based good practices in prevention, support, protection and punishment for violence against women (VsV Phase I) feed into public policies and/or are adopted and replicated by public institutions (including COVID issues) at the national and/or subnational level, civil society organisations and universities, with a shared responsibility approach;

Outcome 2:    National and/or sub-national public institutions with the support of CSOs, and/or academia implement strategic actions (including COVID issues) aimed at improving the services in the state response chain (police, public prosecution service, courts and the health sector) in a framework of inter-institutional services.

Principaux résultats attendus:  

-    Systematisation of good practices (including COVID-19) with the potential to feed into public policies at the national and/or subnational level;

-    Programme to strengthen advocacy and replication capacities implemented;

-    Public policy proposals drawn up and presented to the top executive authorities in the priority institutions; 

-    Public accountability for strategic actions implemented to combat violence and methodologies systematised.

Principaux résultats antérieurs:  

The project’s work in the 80 municipalities covered (1/3 of all the municipalities in Bolivia) resulted in:

a)    Improvements in public services and linkages through anti-violence networks, enabling an integrated response to more than 74,000 cases of violence at the municipal level;

b)    A 30% reduction in male chauvinist cultural attitudes and behaviours (based on survey of staff and education activists);

c)    Increase from 29% to 72% in the number of women stating they received a comprehensive support service (psychological, legal, social) that helped them to continue with the legal process.

Solidar Suisse (implementing partner).

The implementing partner won a tender in phase 1 and was also foreseen to implement a further phase. Solidar may transfer funds for “strategic actions”, depending on agreements and relevance, to NGOs specialising in anti-violence work providing technical training and to Departmental Associations of Municipalities (AMDES), among others.  

SDC: Access to Justice project.

Donors: AECID, Swedish Embassy.

Main national actors: Ministry of Justice, Police, Public Prosecution Service, Judiciary, Ministries of Justice, Communication, Education and Health, SER MUJERES, municipal governments (20). 

Phase 2 01.06.2020 - 31.12.2022   (Completed)