The National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI, for its Spanish name) informed that in Mexico during 2019 more than 66% of women had experienced at least one type of violence. Olga Sánchez Cordero, Secretary of the Interior (SEGOB in Mexico), emphasized that despite the important efforts for labor equality, it has not been reached yet.
“According to the OCDE, we have a 30% difference in remuneration between men and women. This inequality also causes an unequal distribution of domestic work and we have to advocate for this equitable distribution and for parental care” asserted the Secretary.
Recently, during the confinement measures taken in response to Covid-19, there has been an increase in the distress calls regarding family violence as reported by the 911 service of response and support in Mexico.
Considering this scenario, The Trust for the Americas, through the VIVE Project, launched a digital course “Prevention of violence against women and girls” which will be available in the Virtual Classroom free of charge thanks to the support of The Walmart Foundation.
In an interview with Alma Burciaga, independent consultor and creator of contents for the online course, held through Facebook Live, she stated that a fundamental step in the prevention of violence is being able to identify it in a timely manner, hence, the course uses an accessible and easy-to-understand language and describes the different types of violence.
“This course will help us realize the different ways violence can be manifested. It is so normalized that we do not know we are living violence and we can find it in both public spaces like the workplace, streets, markets, schools, etc. and in private spaces, which could even be our own homes. Even before birth, we are already labeled” explained Ms. Burciaga.
According to the Interamerican Convention to Prevent, Sanction and Eradicate Violence against Women, better-known as Convención de Belém do Pará, violence against women is defined as “that violence against women constitutes a violation of the human rights and fundamental liberties, and totally or partially limits women in their recognition, enjoyment and exercise of said rights and liberties; given that violence against women is an offence against human dignity and a manifestation of the historically unequal power relationships between women and Man, act or omission based in gender, that causes physical, psychological, patrimonial, economic and/or sexual damage or suffering or even death; both in the public and private spheres”.
Even though the topic was added to the training curriculum of VIVE in 2018, “This is a completely new course” according to Alma Burciaga. “I really put an effort into finding new videos and materials relevant to current events. I also tried to include the context of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. In the course you can find the following topics: Gender roles, Stereotypes, How a violent person behaves, How I feel when being violated, The Cycle of Violence, and descriptions of Psychological Violence amongst others.”
The 10-hour course is now available in Spanish at https://aulavirtual.trustfortheamericas.org/ and people who successfully complete it can acquire a participation diploma.
About the VIVE Project:
VIVE Project: VIVE in Spanish means “Come, be inspired and sell”. The Walmart Foundation supports this project implemented in Mexico by The Trust for the Americas, in partnership with the ManpowerGroup Foundation. Since 2016, VIVE seeks to increase the economic empowerment of Mexican women through training in technical skills such as sales, retail, customer service, and life skills like entrepreneurship, effective communication and leadership. The training is aimed at low-income women over 15 years old from communities in vulnerable situations. VIVE has had a presence in 184 municipalities, in 28 Mexican states. During 2018, The Trust added to the curriculum the course on prevention of violence against girls and women. In this way, the project’s objective is that participants increase their chances of accessing formal economic opportunities in these areas, as well as helping to prevent gender violence.
About Walmart:
Together, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation generally provide more than $1 billion in cash and in-kind to support programs that align with its philanthropic priorities. Walmart Foundation focuses on areas where they can do the most good – combining the unique strengths of the business alongside philanthropy. The ability to draw on Walmart’s business strengths, providing more than just funding, helps Walmart’s philanthropy to deliver greater societal impact. Today, Walmart.org, through the combined philanthropic efforts of both Walmart and the Walmart Foundation, creates opportunities for people to live better every day.
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