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

Project Number: 476.1020

We support indigenous women in the Peruvian Andes on the shores of Lake Titicaca who have no formal educational qualifications and are affected by poverty. In bilingual courses in Spanish and Quechua, they acquire basic skills in reading, writing and arithmetic in order to better manage their everyday lives and improve their income. In a region that is severely affected by climate change and water pollution, training in environmental issues is an integral part of the educational programs. Thanks to the project work, indigenous women know how to campaign more effectively at a political level for the protection of Lake Titicaca and how to demand the state's commitment through legally binding channels. Young people are also campaigning for more environmental protection and are calling for a commitment from society as a whole to protect the waters from pollution.

This project will focus its activities on Peru from January 1, 2025. Cooperation with our partner organizations in Chile was terminated due to the need to focus more strongly on program work.

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

Alfalit: 97 women attended the literacy program during the reporting year. 76 of them (78%) successfully completed the year and significantly improved their basic skills compared to the previous year. 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. In addition, 48 percent of the participants exercised leadership in the family, participated in decision-making at the community level and discussed gender equality and women's rights in the face of all kinds of discrimination and violence against women.

42 primary school pupils (i.e. all pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5) passed the school year. In the subjects of communication and mathematics, 76 percent achieved the expected learning success and 24 percent even achieved an excellent learning success. Ten pupils were randomly selected to take part in a provincial competition for learning achievement progress. Thirty-two educational institutions took part in this competition. The students of the Alfalit program came in second place. Teachers also confirmed better interaction with and within families. The pupils express their feelings and needs more confidently.

IDECA, "OMABASI" project: 17 indigenous women from the women's organization OMABASI took part in the leadership school "Lullakanakana Sartawipa". 41% of them (7 out of 17) actively participate in 3 networks (Red Muqi Sur, Red Muqi National and Platform of Social Organization of Aymara, Quechua and Uru speaking women) and significantly influence their agendas. OMABASI women have also taken on a strong leadership role in this year's social protests in Peru. Not only at local and regional level, but also at national level. Another milestone was the update and publication of the regional agenda of the Aymara-Quechua and Uros women of the Puno region to promote gender equality in the region. In addition, OMABASI, together with IDECA, presented a study on the water crisis to the mayor of Chucuito in July, which clearly shows that OMABASI women are actively campaigning for their living conditions in the region and demanding support from the authorities.

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