« We promote equality, empowerment, and the exercise of rights for women and youth in Bolivia »

Building a more supportive and equitable world

Projects

[2022 – 2023] FORTAPAZ III – Strengthening of economic capacities and leadership of women and youth in La Paz and El Alto, Bolivia

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Past projects

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Projects

o La Paz and El Alto, Bolivia
o Status: Completed Project (September 2022 – November 2023)


General Project Description

FORTAPAZ III was a project aimed at strengthening the economic autonomy of women and youth through training processes, support, and the building of productive and organizational capacities, cross-cuttingly integrating a gender and human rights approach.

The project was implemented in the municipalities of La Paz and El Alto, prioritizing people in situations of social and economic vulnerability. Its objective was to strengthen their opportunities for income generation, leadership, and active participation in their communities, recognizing economic autonomy as a key factor for violence prevention and the exercise of rights.

What do we work on? / Our focus

During the implementation of FORTAPAZ III, actions were focused on:

• Economic empowerment and financial autonomy of women and youth.
• Strengthening of productive, organizational, and management capacities.
• Training in personal finance and economic planning.
• Promotion of entrepreneurship with a gender approach.
• Strengthening of community and economic leadership.
• Awareness-raising on the relationship between economic autonomy, gender equality, and violence prevention.


Who do we work with?

The project was implemented with:

• Young and adult women.
• Youth in situations of social and economic vulnerability.
• Community women leaders and neighborhood representatives.


And in coordination with:

• Social and community organizations.
• Local public institutions linked to economic and social development.
• Allied entities within the territory.


How did we implement it?

FORTAPAZ III was developed through a training-based, practical, and progressive methodology that combined:

• Training processes in entrepreneurship, economic autonomy, and leadership.
• Support and guidance for individual and collective economic initiatives.
• Experiential workshops with a gender and rights approach.
• Spaces for exchanging experiences and collective learning.
• Coordination with local actors to strengthen economic and community networks.


The project prioritized the strengthening of economic capacities as the foundation for personal, social, and community empowerment.

Main results

Among the primary achievements of FORTAPAZ III, the following stand out:

• Strengthening of economic and management capacities in women and youth.
• Improvement in personal finance management and economic planning.
• Promotion of entrepreneurship initiatives with a gender approach.
• Strengthening of the economic and community leadership of the participants.
• Increased awareness of the relationship between economic autonomy, gender equality, and violence prevention.


Lessons learned and contributions

Lessons Learned and Contributions FORTAPAZ III allowed for the consolidation of key lessons, including:

• Economic autonomy as a central pillar of women's empowerment.
• The importance of combining technical training with a gender approach.
• The value of continuous support and guidance in entrepreneurship processes.
• The need to strengthen economic and community networks for the sustainability of these processes.


These lessons contributed to the institutional strengthening of SSF Bolivia and the improvement of future interventions in economic empowerment.

Continuity of the process

FORTAPAZ III provided continuity to the previous phases of the FORTAPAZ process, consolidating an institutional line of work focused on the economic autonomy and empowerment of women and youth. These lessons have been incorporated into subsequent SSF Bolivia projects linked to employability, leadership, and economic development.

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