58 million women live in rural areas across Latin America. They and their communities disproportionately experience poverty and discrimination. In Paraguay, the Organization of Peasant and Indigenous Women (CONAMURI) is led by women across 12 departments and was founded as a space to inform, empower, and raise their voices. This year, they celebrated their 25th anniversary defending women’s rights.
CONAMURI runs the India Juliana School, an annual training program for more than 50 women leaders. The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) was honored to partner with them to support the program’s implementation.
CONAMURI convened representatives from five state institutions – the Ministry of Women, Ministry of Education and Sciences, Paraguayan Institute of Crafts, National Administration of Electricity, and Ministry of Health – to participate and listen as the women outlined their communities’ needs and demands, such as electricity, access to government ID, and comprehensive health care and education. At the women’s request, the representatives agreed to form a working group to ensure continued collaboration and effective follow-up.
