Achieving gender equality and women's empowerment is the world's greatest human rights challenge, according to UN. The COVID-19 pandemic eroded the limited achievements in this regard, especially for indigenous women and girls who continue facing complex and intersecting forms of violence linked to patriarchal structures, racial and ethnic discrimination, and various human rights violations. We contribute to prevent violences that impedes gender equality and reproduces toxic masculinities.
Chiapas has the highest maternal mortality rate in Mexico, half of these deaths are indigenous women; it also ranks 4th place with the highest number of adolescent pregnancies. In the municipalities of Chenalho, Las Margaritas, and San Juan Cancuc, the fertility rates are 157, 132, and 103 children, respectively, for every thousand women between the ages of 15 and 19; 23% of adolescents are already in a relationship and almost half of them (43.7%) knows little about the use of contraceptives.
During 13 years, our educational program "Fortaleciendo Jovenes" (Strengthening Youth) has contributed to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of young Mayan women and girls in Chiapas. This educational training has set out to improve the conditions to achieve gender equality and empower Mayan girls and young women in Chiapas. We work every day to end all forms of discrimination against indigenous girls and young women with a focus on rights, gender equality and interculturality.
This project aims to strength the skills of 1,200 Mayan girls and adolescents who attend upper primary school, secondary school and high school, through an educational curriculum that includes five training modules: Emotion Management, Gender Equality, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Decision Making and Promotion of Healthy Habits. By strengthening youth leadership Ch'ieltik promotes gender equality and prevents violence against girls and young indigenous women in Chiapas.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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