August 2008
First Workshop of the Regional Project to End Violence against Women
During the last week of July in Guatemala, Horizons of Friendship welcomed 25 women and men from throughout Central America to the first workshop of its Regional Project to End Violence against Women. The participants came from 11 of Horizons’ partner organizations and will go back to their communities to train local leaders to lead gender-based violence prevention initiatives.
This regional project is helping to mobilize citizens to stop the very troubling trend referred to as feminicide – an increase in the systematic killing of women coupled with inadequate state protection, police and judicial systems.
“We have to raise awareness amongst ourselves on what the problem is, what is causing the increase in killings of women, and how each and every one of us can take steps to build a society free of violence” states Maria Luisa Prienfelk, the Project Coordinator, in referring to the goals of this workshop.
The workshop was lead by Maria Luisa and Ana Carcedo, the project’s Research Coordinator and member of the Central American Feminist Network against Violence towards Women, which is jointly implementing the project with Horizons.
Participants got to know each other and shared how violence towards women is manifested in their communities. They were introduced to the concept that life without violence towards women is a basic human right and also a state responsibility. Participants explored how gender violence is rooted in unequal power relations between men and women, and how it affects women’s sense of self and general wellbeing. Then they explored ways communities can come together to prevent violence and to be supportive to victims and their families. They looked at how to lead information and awareness-raising campaigns and to work towards equitable and respectful gender relations within families, in schools and in all social relationships.
A key goal of this workshop was for participants to realize that gender violence affects everyone. This is clearly stated in the Training Manual on Gender Violence Prevention, presented at the workshop, as such. “It isn’t “other” women that are being assassinated, it is our daughters, sisters, mothers, partners, friends… all women are at risk. We are all at risk. This is why we can all contribute to solving this problem.”
Content Outline of the Training Manual on Gender Violence Prevention:
- Conceptualization of Violence against Women: to live without violence is a Human Right
- Violence against Women as a structural problem: review of myths on causes of violence against women;
- Diverse Manifestations of Violence against Women (physical, emotional, sexual, patrimonial, symbolic, active or passive) and dynamics ( married couples, boyfriend, ex-partners, family, sexual harassment at work, , community, social circles, sexual attacks, child abuse, incest, trafficking of girls and women, sexual exploitation, violence for sex workers);
- institutional violence and re-victimization;
- Thinking about abused women: review of stereotypes of weak, dependent, persistent trauma, etc. The importance of empowerment and autonomy in adult women;
- Femicide in Central America: why is it on the increase in this region? Defining the problem with statistics, different scenarios and state responses;
- Violence against Women is no longer a private issue: state responsibility, international conventions and instruments, strengths and weaknesses of public policy;
- What can we do to support an abused woman? (personal and civil society responses), Importance of getting to know existent resources;
- What can we do to support an abused girl? (personal and civil society responses, Support to mothers and families, Need to know existent resources;
- What can we do to prevent Violence against Women in our communities: information and awareness-raising, working towards equitable and respectful relations (family, schools, relationships), appreciate diversity, question stereotypes,
- What can we do promote change at a national level? Develop ties between local and national levels, participate in networks, campaigns, training sessions, etc.
October 2007
Horizons of Friendship launches an innovative project to stop violence against women in Central America. Violence against women is a stark reality in Central America, and is expressed in diverse forms including harassment, abuse, rape and forced prostitution. However, murder, the most extreme form of violence against women, has drastically increased in the region. Femicide is the systematic killing of women based on their gender. In Mexico and Central America, these slayings are often accompanied by brutal torture, mutilations and rape. More than 1,000 women were murdered in the past year alone in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, according to research results compiled by the Feminist Information and Action Centre (CEFEMINA), one of Horizons’ partners on this project.
Femicide has drastically increased in Guatemala, where according to Amnesty International, over 2,200 women and girls have been murdered since 2001, yet authorities have failed to detain or bring to justice any of those responsible. Families of victims, together with women’s and human rights organizations, are drawing public attention to these crimes and the unacceptable lack of government action to protect women. For Horizons’ partners, staff and board of directors, Femicide in Central America is a priority issue. “We cannot remain silent. It is time to take action to break the silence and work across borders to defend women’s rights” states Patricia Rebolledo, Horizons’ Executive Director.Horizons is teaming up with The Central American Feminist Network against Violence towards Women and its own partner organizations to work on social research and citizen action initiatives to help stop femicide and violence against women in the region.
“The cause of the increase in femicide is complex but is entrenched in a patriarchal culture in which women are marginalized and discriminated against, coupled with a history of violent armed conflict and high levels of impunity,”explains Rona Donefer, Horizons’ Foundations & Program Development Officer, who herself lived in Guatemala for 10 years and worked on women’s rights issues. Women’s groups have drawn international attention in order to exert public pressure on Central American governments to enact coherent responses to stop violence against women and to uphold the right of all women to personal safety and integrity. Rona adds “As concerned Canadians we too should become involved and support the efforts of Central American groups. That is what this project is all about”. Horizons’ project offers an innovative collaboration between Central American feminist organizations, universities, research centres, community development and grassroots organizations. The project methodology includes two main components, a qualitative study on femicide in five Central American countries whose results will be widely disseminated and analyzed by government authorities and social leaders in each country; and the training of 25 Social Promoters on Prevention of Violence towards Women, among Horizons of Friendship’s partner organizations who will lead prevention initiatives among grassroots populations in each country.Femicide and violence towards women are social problems and demand social, governmental and citizen responses. Through this project, Central American governments and civil society organizations will receive significant information and analysis on the magnitude of this problem, which should help increase citizen pressure towards governments to improve their policies, judicial and education services to end violence against women. At the local level, the 25 Social Promoters will coordinate on-going awareness raising and violence prevention initiatives in diverse communities throughout the five participating countries. These actions will help make a life without violence a reality for thousands of Central American women and girls. Horizons is actively seeking financial support to make this project a reality, among individuals and foundations. On-line donations may be made by accessing the Donate Now button on this website, and specifying the Regional Project to End Violence against Women in Central America. For more information please contact Rona Donefer at rdonefer@horizons.ca or (905)372-5483 ext 13.
