Indigenous women and young people: strengthening political participation and environmental protection in Peru

Background information

In Peru, Mission 21 supports three partner organizations that are active in educational work with indigenous women and young people in various rural provinces in the department of Puno. The poverty rate in this region is almost 40 percent. A large proportion of the population is of indigenous origin. Aymaras and Quechuas are particularly well represented. Although Peruvian law provides for extensive civic participation and recognizes the rights of indigenous peoples, this is insufficient in practice. Social conflicts (including environmental conflicts) occur time and again and occasionally escalate into violent protests.

Indigenous women are particularly affected by racism, discrimination and machismo. While they are in great demand as "folklore objects" and adorn tourism brochures in glossy pictures, they are perceived as particularly disruptive in their role as active citizens who demand their rights. If strikes occur, they are often labeled as ignorant and unwilling to learn "non-humans" or "terrorists" who stand in the way of the nation's development.

To make matters worse, over 23% of Peruvian women in rural areas are illiterate. At the same time, they often take on the role of head of the family, as many men leave their families for months at a time to look for work in mines or in the city due to the lack of employment opportunities. The challenges in the everyday lives of many women and girls are therefore particularly high.

The living situation is also made more difficult because the habitat of the population in the water catchment area of Lake Titicaca is threatened by severe water pollution and the effects of climate change. Efficient lobbying is needed in order to be able to demand government commitment through legally binding channels. Just as important as this targeted lobbying at a political level is raising awareness among the general population in order to promote commitment to protecting water bodies and the environment from pollution.

Against this backdrop, Mission 21, together with its partner organizations, promotes various educational offers to strengthen self-determination, political participation and environmental protection, which are mainly aimed at indigenous women and young people in rural Puno. However, the educational programs are also open to interested men and boys.

Target group and goals

• Women from indigenous village communities in Chupa and Samán, Puno region, are improving their basic skills so that they can better manage their everyday lives and improve their livelihoods (Alfalit).
• Schoolchildren from the rural areas of Chupa and Samán, Puno region, improve their environmental education skills, their school performance and pass on to the next grade (Alfalit).
• Young women with early pregnancies who have dropped out of school take advantage of a low-threshold educational offer that enables them to reintegrate into the formal education system (Alfalit).
• Women from various indigenous women's organizations are expanding their grassroots and leadership skills in order to lobby effectively at local and regional level for the protection of Lake Titicaca (IDECA).
• Young people from the city of Puno are committed to protecting Lake Titicaca (Emaús).

Activities

• Implementation of bilingual courses (Spanish and Quechua) for the acquisition of basic skills in reading, writing, arithmetic, self-care and life skills (Alfalit).
• Low-threshold educational program for young mothers (Alfalit).
• Intensive tutoring for children to promote equal opportunities, especially for girls
• Environmental education in schools, with parents, teachers, indigenous women's organizations and representatives of the authorities (Alfalit, IDECA, Emaús).
• Implementation of a multi-year training programme on leadership and political participation for women from various indigenous women's organizations (IDECA).
• Participation in various working groups and networks for the implementation of action plans with the regional government of Puno (IDECA, Alfalit, Emaús)

Project progress

In 2024, three partner organizations from Peru (Alfalit, IDECA, CBC) and SEDEC from Chile have a total of 753 personsincluding 91 girls, 84 boys, 462 women, 56 men and 60 others, were reached with training courses and workshops to improve the educational opportunities and political participation of women and girls in particular.

Peru:

Alfalit: 84 women and 13 men attended the literacy program during the reporting year. Of these, 72 women and 12 men (87%) successfully completed the year and significantly improved their basic skills compared to the previous year and feel that their quality of life has improved. The training in the use of digital devices and technologies was particularly successful because the women were able to participate in digital communities. This helped them not only in their personal communication with family and friends, but also in their small businesses (contact with customers) and thus contributed to their economic independence. One example is Alodia Chupa Quispe, who was able to successfully promote her ropes made from natural materials for livestock farming. 62 % of the women held leadership positions in various areas of the community, for example in the community safety committee, school committee or stood as candidates for the mayoral elections in their village.

35 primary school pupils (100% in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade) passed the school year. In the subjects of communication and mathematics, 83 % achieved the expected learning success and 17 % achieved an outstanding learning success.

IDECA29 indigenous women and 1 man from the women's organization OMABASI took part in the "Lullakanakana Sartawipa" leadership school. The trainings enabled the women to empower themselves with their cultural identity and to develop a decolonial and sustainable vision on environmental issues. The case studies show that the women have more self-confidence when speaking in public. They report that they have managed to get support from the community for weaving machines. This has enabled them to earn an income and reduce their economic dependence on their husbands. They are still discriminated against in their communities and it is a challenge to find markets to sell their products. They believe that not only the technical support was important, but also working on issues of self-esteem, emotional management and relationships.

See here the Film "Education for more self-determination"

See here the Film "Education for more equal opportunities" (Promotion at schools)