Partner: Plan International Belgium

Context

Bolivia has ratified numerous international human rights treaties, of which the following are particularly relevant to Plan International’s work: the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women. However, despite progress in legislation promoting the rights of children and young people, violations still occur, especially in rural and indigenous populations. Girls in particular face specific barriers to exercising their rights, especially in the three following areas:

Education:

According to the Ministry of Education, only 11% of young people aged 18 to 24 attend university or a technical training centre. Young women are more affected than young men, mainly due to limited access to alternative or post-secondary education in rural areas and limited support from the family and community environment.

Sexual and reproductive rights:

A large proportion of Bolivia’s population is under 18 years, some of whom are sexually active. Despite this, their sexual and reproductive rights are not recognised, nor is their right to protection against sexual violence. In addition, 25% of teenage girls are already mothers at the age 19 (National Plan to Prevent Teen Pregnancy), and this figure is often higher in rural areas. Furthermore, unwanted pregnancy is an important factor in maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.

Gender-based violence:

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in 2014 Bolivia ranked among the countries where girls and women are most exposed to violence.

Project Content

The project’s main component is its social football methodology, divided into three stages:

• During the first stage, the mixed teams are formed and the girls and boys agree on the rules and how long they will play for. This stage allows the participants to engage in dialogue and reach agreements and compromises.
• During the second stage, the game is played respecting the previously agreed rules.

The third stage is a time for participants to reflect on their in-game behaviour and the behaviour of their teammates. In social football, sticking to the previously agreed rules is more important than competitiveness.

Objectives

• Change behaviour towards girls and women and put an end to all types of violence, including sexual violence
• Support gender equality
• Ensure children and teenagers can exercise their sexual and reproductive rights

Project activities

• Work plans for student governments (40) and the community social education councils (40) incorporating the social football methodology
• Training workshops on the football social methodology for students and student governments (3), community social education councils (2), district directors, unit directors and secondary level teachers (3)
• Social football cards and audiovisual products (600)
• 80 student sports meetings applying the social football methodology with a focus on gender equality, violence prevention and the exercise of sexual and reproductive rights
• Assessments of the educational units’ sports fields
• 40 refurbished and improved sports fields (one for each educational unit)
• 80 awards for winners of sports events

Expected results

• Student government organisations strengthen their organisational capacity and representativeness through the social football methodology; they value the participation of women and positively influence their sexual and reproductive rights, gender equality and prevention of gender-based violence.
• Community social education councils increase their participation and support for the development of social football with a focus on gender equality, prevention of gender-based violence and the exercise of sexual and reproductive rights of girls, boys and teenagers, especially women in the municipalities where the project is developed.
• District directors, directors of educational units and secondary level teachers improve the management of sports in the educational units by promoting gender equality, sexual and reproductive rights and the prevention of gender-based violence.

Partner