Breaking new ground in the fight against violence against indigenous women in Paraguay

In the framework of the construction of the “Opening Paths” approach to violence against indigenous women in Paraguay, a meeting of the Inter-institutional Roundtable for the Prevention of Violence against Women (PREVIM) has been held, with the participation of women leaders representing different indigenous communities and with the support of the European programme to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Paraguay.

Under this premise, a process has begun in 2022 with a national meeting with indigenous women leaders from other countries in the region. In 2023, following this line of work, three focus groups were held with indigenous women from the Western region, the Eastern region and in Asunción with women from urban communities in Asunción and Central, to deepen knowledge about the reality, barriers and opportunities to advance in the fight against violence against indigenous women. In these meetings, demands and proposals were made to the Paraguayan state to achieve a life free of violence for indigenous women and girls.

Joint approach between the State and indigenous women

From their organisations, indigenous women leaders have told how violence affects them, and various state actors have listened to these voices and promoted conversations on the issue. The “Opening Pathways” process has been a key space for this. During the meeting, the women leaders highlighted the following points: “Violence is everything that affects the self”, “I am human, I am a woman”, “We want inclusion and respect, a life that indigenous women, girls and young women deserve”. They also pointed out the importance of the state listening to indigenous women without intermediaries.

The space shared with the public institutions of the PREVIM Roundtable has been the starting point for the installation of working groups with each of the entities involved in the prevention and attention to violence against indigenous women and girls, in the framework of a dialogue with indigenous women. The working groups held in each of the responsible public entities will consolidate the itinerary of joint construction between the State and indigenous women, led by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs.

Public policies in the face of violence

The itinerary followed marks important keys in the construction of public policies that address complex realities in Paraguay: dialogue between communities, reflection from women’s organisations and working spaces with the state strengthen democratic processes and ensure the effectiveness of the response to an age-old problem: violence against women.

In addition, the following objectives have been achieved: to present the results of the dialogue process with indigenous women to institutional representatives of the PREVIM Roundtable; to demonstrate the political will of the PREVIM Roundtable to combat violence against indigenous women and girls; and to make public the decision to set up working groups between indigenous women and state entities to adequately address violence against indigenous women and girls, already planned for 2024.