Projects funded under the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security

SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA

Empowering Women and Girls at Risk - El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras

Implementing Agency
UNIFEM

Collaborating Partners
UNOPS, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNDP, ILO, Government authorities, national and regional NGOs, national and regional research and academic institutions.

Objective
This project aims to :

(i) Reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation, most especially that of adolescent girls;
(ii) Improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable groups of women and high risk adolescents by addressing the needs for economical and social empowerment; and
(iii) Improve health conditions of the most vulnerable groups of adolescents and women.

Beneficiaries
Women and adolescents between the age of 10 and 18 who are victims, or at high risk of sexual exploitation, domestic violence and abuse of human rights. The wider community is also targeted to benefit from a general educational campaign on gender equity, human rights, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS awareness.

Activities

  • Workshops for the general population on gender equity, human rights, sexual exploitation and reproductive health, combined with training for school teachers, media campaigning against sexual exploitation and upgrading of counseling services.
  • Vocational training for adolescents and women at social risk.
  • Establishment of revolving funds and credit programmes for women with scarce resources.
  • Training of local health personnel, police and teachers on gender equity, human rights, sexual exploitation, sexual education, including HIV/AIDS prevention.

Outputs (including distinctive aspects of the project)

  • Inform primary and secondary schools, as well as more informal classes in remote areas, on reproductive health, sexual exploitation, and human rights.
  • Combine outreach with media campaigning through radio, television and theater.
  • Train teachers, health workers, police and court officials to recognize abuse and exploitation and attend to victims without compounding their psychological trauma.
  • Develop safe and viable livelihoods for 1,600 at-risk women through training seminars, market studies and revolving funds plans, to develop safe and viable livelihoods, notably through small loans for business ventures and self-employment.

Other projects in South and Central America

  • Protecting and empowering displaced people in Colombia. [More...]

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