Projects

#Projects

 

Since its creation in 2019, the Unidas Network has supported members in designing and implementing projects that strengthen their work in defense of women's rights. Through these projects, the members:

• Create strategic alliances with other members and implementing organizations in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Germany
• Receive funding, support, and visibility
• Strengthen the ties with the German Federal Foreign Office
• Enrich regional dialogues on gender equality.

 

#CURRENT PROJECTS

 

Amidst the tide: Dialogues and stories on access to abortion in Germany, Latin America and the Caribbean

 

Implementation period	June – December 2023
Countries involved	Uruguay Cuba Germany Mexico Venezuela El Salvador/Honduras
Topics	Abortion and Access to Reproductive Health
Implementing organizations	Kaja Negra
Implementing members	Florencia Pagola

 

Through dialogues and journalistic stories, this project addresses different scenarios of access to abortion in various places in Latin America and Germany. The idea is to promote a cross-border discussion that broadens the panorama on the challenges and possibilities of exercising the right to decide in the face of growing anti-rights movements. The project will host five virtual conversations, four multi-format stories (two reports and three podcasts), and a photographic series from a solutions journalism approach with a feminist and cross-border perspective.

 

 

 

#COMPLETED PROJECTS

 

Training workshop: International cooperation, project development and sources of financing

 

Implementation period	March – April 2023
Countries involved	Latin America and the Caribbean (virtual event)
Topics	Access to funding sources, international cooperation and project development
Implementing organizations	Argentine Network for International Cooperation (RACI) (RACI)

 

In our exchange with the Unidas members, we have identified that women's organizations and human rights defenders working to prevent and combat gender-based violence face difficulties accessing resources from international cooperation and other strategic social investors.

To strengthen the capacities of members on issues such as international cooperation, project development, and funding sources, Unidas held two training workshops of 90 minutes each, in which participants were able to exchange experiences, strengthen their management tools and improve their practices to achieve greater effectiveness and efficiency in project formulation. Experts from the Argentine Network for International Cooperation (RACI) led the workshops, which took place on Tuesday, March 28 and Friday, April 14, 2023. More information on the agenda and structure of the workshops can be found here.

Dialogue and action in line with the 2030 Agreement for a life free of violence against women;

 

Implementation period	November 2022 – January 2023
Countries involved	Ecuador Coast: Portoviejo Highlands: Amato y Quito East: Lago Agrio
Topics	Gender-based violence against women and girls Institutional articulation Political advocacy
Implementing organizations	Acción Ciudadana por la Democracia y el Desarrollo Tejedora Manabita Colegio de Abogados de Pichincha Luna Creciente/Federación de Mujeres de Sucumbíos
Implementing members	Cecilia Mena Zoila Menéndez Pilar Rassa Clara Merino

 

To address the problem of gender-based violence against women in Ecuador, members of the Unidas Network that are part of the Agreement for a Life Free of Violence launched a project to identify challenges in access to justice for women victims of gender-based violence, facilitate dialogue for joint action between entities that are part of the 2030 Agreement and gather input for a proposal to reform the Comprehensive Criminal Code (COIP) on access to justice for women victims of violence.

Within the framework of this project, on November 18, 2022, a national event was held with 200 participants, including judges, prosecutors, police authorities, women's social organizations, and members of the Unidas Network Ecuador. The discussion, which was transmitted online, brought together the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Quito, Mr. Philipp Schauer, among other distinguished guests. Subsequently, between November and December 2022, three local meetings were held in Portoviejo, Ambato, and Lago Agrio. These gatherings aimed at articulating entities linked to the 2030 Agreement with local actors and women's organizations. Advocacy activities with national and local authorities, as well as civil society organizations, complemented the events. Finally, on February 15, 2023, spokeswomen for the project presented a document with proposals to reform the COIP before the Plenary of the National Court of Justice.

 

 

You can find more information on the project here:

• Recording of the national event held on November 18, 2022.
• Report of the national event held on November 18, 2022.
• Document with proposals to reform the COIP, which were presented on February 15, 2023, to Ecuador’s National Court of Justice.

 

Training workshop: Communication strategies for women's rights advocates

 

Implementation period	October – November 2022
Countries involved	Latin America and the Caribbean (virtual event)
Topics	Feminist communication
Partner organizations	Ecofeminita
Implementing members	Ingrid Beck Ana Correa Mariana Carbajal

 

 

Although communication does not solve the problems associated with the violation of women's rights, on many occasions, it contributes to the visibility of claims, building the agenda of urgency and generating currents of opinion. For this reason, the Unidas Network, in partnership with Ecofeminita and members Ingrid Beck, Ana Correa and Mariana Carvajal, developed the virtual course "Communication strategies for women's rights defenders," through which members can grasp multiple communication tools and understand how to leverage them to position their agendas. They also learn to generate strategies to put urgent, medium, and long-term demands on public opinion.

The course has six sessions: two synchronous and four asynchronous. It is free for members and can be completed at their own pace. Each session is accompanied by readings and tools that expand on the topics and discussions of the class:

• Session 1. Gender-sensitive communication for the expansion of rights.
• Session 2. Journalism with a Gender Perspective.
• Session 3. Media, Communication and Political Strategies of Impact.
• Session 4 Social media and effective communication.
• Session 5: The role of the women's movement: The Chilean Experience.
• Session 6. Communication, digital violence and self-care.

 

Members can attend the course by expressing their interest via the Unidas email  info@unidas.world. Afterwards access data will be provided.

Training course and workshop: Digital Self-Defense

 

Implementation period	October 2021 – Febrero 2022
Countries involved	Latin America and the Caribbean (virtual event)
Topics	Gender-based digital violence
Implementing organizations	Kiron - Open Higher Education

 

 

In response to the growing wave of digital violence against journalists, activists, and women's rights defenders, Red Unidas, in partnership with KIRON, developed a project for members to acquire tools to protect their safety and privacy on the Internet.

The DSD 101 Introduction to Digital Self-Defense course is an asynchronous learning resource available on the Digital Self Center platform, allowing members to register for free. The course engages topics such as types of digital threats, data encryption, account protection, and emergency detection and response. In addition, a 90-minute virtual workshop was held on February 11, 2022, to discuss members' experiences with digital violence and solve doubts about navigating the platform.

Reporting and registering domestic violence against women and girls in Brazil and Colombia: A Data-Driven Model

 

Implementation period	August 2020 – January 2021
Countries involved	Brasil Colombia
Topics	Gender-based violence against women and girls Feminist data
Implementing organizations	Data-Pop Alliance

 

This project aimed to contribute to a better understanding of the factors that impact the reporting and registering of domestic violence against women and girls, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this goal, an analytical model was developed that uses traditional and non-traditional data to identify the multidimensional capabilities to report and register domestic VAWG at the locality level in Bogotá and São Paulo.

 

The research concludes with four key recommendations to improve the gender data landscape in the region:

- Ensure access to readily available and well-structured data.
- Increase the spatial and temporal granularity of data.
- Improve data quality, for example, by building a better conceptualization of different types of gender-based violence.
- Implement good data governance.

You can read the full report in English and an executive summary in Spanish here.

Training Workshop: Resolution 1325 and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean

 

Implementation period	March – May 2022
Countries involved	Argentina Germany Bolivia Guatemala Panamá Kolumbien Venezuela Chile Honduras Ecuador
Topics/b>	Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda
Implementing organizations	Corporación de Investigación y Acción Social y Económica - CIASE
Implementing members	Rosa Emilia Salamanca

 

Between March and May 2022, Unidas Network partnered with CIASE to develop a 36-hour virtual training workshop to strengthen members' capacities on security, peace, and dialogue, as well as on Resolution 1325 and the WPS agenda in the region. More than 20 members participated in these workshops, which were carried out in four sessions of eight hours each and one final session to develop a working plan. Through this project, the members reaffirmed their commitment to a concept of security that includes all dimensions of women's lives (physical, emotional, cognitive, spiritual) and in which peace is more than the cessation of hostilities. Furthermore, during the sessions, dialogue was recognized as a governance tool that addresses conflicts through non-violent practices and facilitates the identification of unique contexts in the region in terms of the WPS Agenda.

Unidas: Women in the creative industries

 

 

Implementation period	July 2021 – March 2022 2020
Countries involved	Brasil Chile
Topics	Women in creative industries
Implementing organizations	Goethe Instituts Salvador and Santiago de Chile

 

Between October 2021 and February 2022, Latin American women working in different sectors of the creative industries had the opportunity to exchange experiences and knowledge through Unidas: Women in the Creative Industries. The initiative supported music, video games, and audiovisual projects developed by women from Bahia, Brazil, and different parts of Chile.

Unidas offered scholarships to participants from both countries, in addition to a program that includes individual mentoring in each area and a production budget per project. They also participated in a public event broadcast virtually. The workshops covered topics such as structuring the business plan in the creative industry, professionalization and marketing strategies, and strengthening the creative business through networking and devices to promote the internationalization of music, games, and audiovisuals.

Here you can find more information about the funded projects, as well as the participants.

Unidas: Women in Dialogues

 

Implementation period	March - December 2020
Countries involved	Brasil (Salvador)
Topics	Intersectionality Gender equality Violence against women Crisis prevention
Implementing organizations	Goethe Institut Salvador

 

Within the framework of Unidas' activities in Salvador da Bahia, three projects were realized during 2020. In February 2020, Unidas supported the opening of the cultural center for women "Casa Respeita as Mina". The project was initiated by the Ministry of Women of Bahia and could be opened not least thanks to the commitment of the German actor Sibel Kekilli. In April and June, with the help of Unidas, it was possible to distribute 1,700 care packages to single women from socially vulnerable contexts who were in existential need due to the pandemic. From November 25 to 28, 2020, the conference "Unidas: Women in Dialogue" took place simultaneously in Salvador da Bahia, Berlin and digitally. The goal of the event was to mobilize women of diverse backgrounds and biographies to work together to develop ideas and strategies for the ongoing struggle for gender equality. The meeting promoted debates and activities on both sides of the Atlantic around four thematic blocks: "Intersectionality," "Women's Rights and Gender Equality," "Violence against Women," and "Crisis Prevention."

In the Bahian capital, 40 women participated in person in the event that included artistic, black, indigenous, LGBTQI+, peripheral, and political activists.

More information about the events and participants can be found  here.

Projects in partnership with the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa)'s zivik programme

 

The Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa) funds up to four projects by Unidas members per year. Within the framework of the zivik programme, funding is provided for projects of civil society organisations that deal with issues of crisis prevention, conflict management and the peaceful stabilisation of social and political systems. Funding includes support for project design and implementation, assistance with implementation and financial reporting, support for evaluation and impact assessment, and networking opportunities.

Here are two examples of Unidas projects funded under the zivik programme:

Constituent Women in Chile

Lorena Fries Monleón is a Chilean MP, human rights activist and former President of the Regional Centre for Human Rights and Gender Justice in Chile. In 2020, the zivik funding programme supported the project "Constituent Women" with the aim of putting gender issues at the centre of the constitutional process in Chile.

Women as advocates for peace in Colombia

The zivik funding programme supports the work of CIASE, an organisation led by Unidas member Rosa Emilia Salamanca. The funded project aims to develop alternative approaches to security policy in Latin America based on women's experiences. Through workshops, online training and other measures, CIASE's work contributes directly to capacity building in the areas of violence prevention, mediation and peacebuilding in Colombia and Mexico.