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

Building a more supportive and equitable world

Projects

[2020 – 2021] FORTAPAZ – Strengthening of capacities for economic autonomy and violence prevention in La Paz and El Alto

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Past projects

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Projects

o La Paz and El Alto, Bolivia
o Status: Completed Project (May 2020 – May 2021)


General Project Description

FORTAPAZ was the initial project of SSF Bolivia’s FORTAPAZ line, aimed at strengthening basic capacities for the economic autonomy of women and youth, cross-cuttingly incorporating a gender approach and the prevention of gender-based violence.

The project was implemented in the municipalities of La Paz and El Alto, in contexts of high social and economic vulnerability, laying the foundations for subsequent processes of economic empowerment, leadership, and community participation developed in FORTAPAZ II and FORTAPAZ III.

What do we work on? / Our focus

During the implementation of FORTAPAZ I, priority was given to actions focused on:

• Strengthening basic personal and economic capacities of women and youth.
• Introduction to economic autonomy as a right and a tool for empowerment.
• Awareness-raising on gender equality and violence prevention.
• Development of initial skills for organization and community participation.
• Promotion of the recognition of rights and the active role of women in their environments.


Who do we work with?

The project was developed with:

• Young and adult women in situations of vulnerability.
• Youth from neighborhoods and districts of La Paz and El Alto.


And in coordination with:

• Grassroots social and community organizations.
• Local public institutions linked to social development, gender, and youth.
• Community actors within the territory.


How did we implement it?

FORTAPAZ was implemented through a training-based, participatory, and community-oriented methodology, which combined:

• In-person educational workshops.
• Spaces for collective reflection on gender, rights, and violence.
• Community awareness activities.
• Initial support and guidance for individual and group processes.
• Coordination with local actors to strengthen the community fabric.


The project placed special emphasis on personal and collective strengthening as a starting point for subsequent processes of economic autonomy and leadership.

Key results

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

• Strengthening of basic capacities for economic autonomy in women and youth.
• Greater recognition of rights and situations of inequality and violence.
• Increased participation of women in community spaces.
• Generation of trust and motivation for the continuity of training and organizational processes.
• Establishment of a methodological and territorial base for the development of FORTAPAZ II and III.


Lessons learned and contributions

FORTAPAZ allowed for the identification of key lessons, including:

• The importance of starting empowerment processes from personal strengthening.
• The need to integrate gender, economy, and violence prevention from early stages.
• The value of community work in building trust and sustainability.
• The relevance of progressive and supported processes in contexts of vulnerability.


These lessons guided the methodological evolution of the FORTAPAZ line in its subsequent phases.

Continuity of the process

FORTAPAZ I constituted the starting point of the FORTAPAZ line, leading to the implementation of:


In this way, the project laid the foundations for a phased and sustained process of economic and social empowerment.


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