Latin America

Since its beginning the World YWCA Power to Change Fund has been making a positive difference to lives of women and young women around the world. Direct grant making to YWCA Member Associations has meant that projects have benefited from a capacity building approach The Power to Change Fund provides innovative leadership programmes and empowering opportunities through dialogues, training and sharing of experiences and skills at regional, national and global advocacy platforms. Projects in 2011 included a range of YWCA initiatives from around the world on violence against women, sexual and reproductive health and rights and HIV, and economic empowerment. Three such projects were carried out in Myanmar, Colombia and Tanzania.

The Power to Change Fund is a permanent fund of the World YWCA, that endows leadership development programs for women and girls worldwide. A number of exciting and empowering projects have been successfully developed since April 2009, when the Fund policy began to allow direct grant-making to YWCA member associations. Three such projects are those carried out in Georgia, Argentina and Solomon Islands.

The high rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unwanted pregnancies, abortion, and maternal death observed in the country by the YWCA of Peru national office, led the association to conclude that there was a serious need to educate these women on their sexual and reproductive health requirements and rights, and to make them aware of the female condom as a safe solution to help resolve some of these issues.

The World YWCA had the pleasure of greeting Ms. Valeria Arriaga of the YWCA of Honduras in its offices in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 5, 2010, and learning more about the YWCA of Honduras.

The World YWCA stands in solidarity with the people of Chile as they recover from the massive earthquake of February 27, 2010.

The YWCA of Chile participated in a festival on living a healthy lifestyle at the Technical University of Federico Santa Maria, Viña del Mar. The event was organised by the inter-University Commission for the prevention of HIV and AIDS in preparation for the commemoration of World AIDS Day on December 1.

Educating and informing women and young women in Mexico about HIV prevention has been a journey of self-discovery for the YWCA of Naucalpan, Mexico. “When we started our work we had to eliminate our own fears about sexuality and start working on our personal growth,” says YWCA Naucalpan Prosecretary Claudia Vázquez Izquierdo.

On November 22 members of the YWCA of Chile participate in a well attended march in the city of Valparaíso. The march was held as part of the the the Chilean Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence campaign, “Watch out: Machismo Kills”. In 2007, 59 women lost their lives at the hands of their intimate partner. Over 700 women expressed their distress regarding the high level of violence against women in Chile. Bearing torches and shouting slogans such as “ love does not kill” the women lead a strong yet peaceful demonstration.

The YWCA of Peru continues with its relief efforts as the impact of the August 15 earthquake in southwest Peru begins to take its toll. BBC news reports that 1,300 people were injured in the earthquake and hospitals in the region are overwhelmed. Injured from the hardest hit areas of Pisco and Ica have been transported to Lima, the capital city of Peru for specialised medical treatment. Family members travel with the injured, but many cannot find or afford accommodation in Lima. The YWCA of Lima has stepped in to provide accommodation for these distressed families, currently providing accommodation for 25 people.

At least 17,000 people are displaced and wide areas remain without power, telephone service or road access in Peru after an earthquake rocked the country on August 14. The worst damage has been reported in the south west coast of Peru, particularly in Pisco and Chincha e Ica, south of Lima, the capital city of Peru. At least 510 people are believed dead as a result of the earthquake. Silvanna Ayaipoma, National General Secretary of the YWCA of Peru reports that members of the YWCA of Peru and YWCA of Lima are safe despite the tragedy.