CECASEM – Center for Training and Services to Women (BOL-74)

Type: Human Rights: Women Rights - Country: Bolivia

Brief description and main aims

CECASEM – Centre for Training and Services for Women focuses on empowering women in rural areas and providing tools to increase their participation in public and political areas in the municipality

CECASEM has over twenty years of experience in sustainable integral human development, working in municipalities in the highlands and valleys of the department of La Paz, Pando, Beni in Bolivia, developing their programs of sustainable management of natural resources, Community, Social Development, Human Rights and Access to Justice, Health and Preventive Nutrition Economic Development.

The aims of the project are the following:

• To improve socio-sanitary conditions of the women in the communities of the province of Quiabaya (Bolivia)
• To promote the exercise of political rights of women
• To ensure access of indigenous peasant women and children a proper attention to nutrition and sexual and reproductive health, as part of their basic right to health
• To contribute to the improvement of food security of indigenous small producers of farming communities
• Economic empowerment of indigenous peasant women from four communities in the canton Conchupata in the town of Quiabaya based on honey production
• To contribute to the validation of effective strategies for the prevention and punishment of the crime of trafficking of sexual exploitation and primary care and occupational reintegration of victims.

Main Activities

Participation of women in public and political spaces of the municipality:

• Training plans on leadership, rights and politics incidence, training of trainers.
• Awareness campaigns on human rights, political rights, and communicative leadership in the educational system
• Symposia, conferences.

Socio-sanitary conditions for women:

• Workshops for midwives and community health workers on "Sexually transmitted diseases and hygiene standards", "Pregnancy and prenatal care", "Childbirth support and aseptic", "Assistance to the newborn and postnatal care", " Family planning and sexual and reproductive rights "

Attention to nutrition and sexual and reproductive health:

• Construction, adaptation and restructuring the infrastructure of the health centers in Quiabaya and equipment for the implementation of an Intercultural Pharmacy
• Training of Community Health Agents
• Awareness campaigns on radio on SRR of women and the impact of sexism on the health of women
• Awareness campaigns on prevention of malnutrition in children, women of childbearing age, pregnant and lactating
• Prevention campaigns on cervical cancer and sexually transmitted infections and STD testing and PAPs to women

Food security

• Training and technical assistance on community management for sustainable exploitation of productive resources.
• Support the implementation of the irrigation system and technologies for soil remediation

• Training and technical assistance to the target group in beekeeping.
• Development of new local knowledge.
• Training of the target group on entrepreneurship.
• Exchange of experiences among women's groups.

Prevention and punishment of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation

• Identification of schools where traffic occurs.
• Information, discussion and reflection on the threats of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation in identified schools in San Borja and collective construction of plays (Forum Theatre) on the issue of trafficking
• Assistance and social counseling for victims
• Media coverage of the lawsuits. Transmission of a radio program for dissemination of information and awareness about trafficking
• Follow the process of labor reintegration of victims of trafficking

Volunteer tasks

• Direct support to the professionals team on the development and implementation of the various projects and working areas, according to the skills, interest of the volunteer and the needs of the organization
• Research, data analysis, correspondence management, etc.
• External relations: spokesperson to media, fundraising, etc.

Volunteer requirements / Skills

• have empathy and passion for what they do
• be able to communicate in Spanish
• have a personal project, specific interest, idea or proposal willing to develop within one area of the organization 

Location

The project is located in La Paz.

Hosting Situation (Board and Lodging)

The volunteer will live outside the project. Volunteers may have to go on field projects and live for two weeks every two months in the country with a team. Accommodation will be provided by the project.