According to data from the Universal Social Foundation (FSU) collected by Europa Press, 34% of adolescent girls who suffer sexual violence in Cusco do not have access to any care, while 45% do not receive emotional support. These figures are part of the challenges that motivated the launch of a new project promoted from Montilla, Córdoba (Spain), in coordination with the Guaman Poma de Ayala Center, to transform the prevention and care of gender-based violence in the districts of Cusco, Santiago and Poroy, regions that are among the regions with the highest rates of violence against women and youth in Peru.
According to Europa Press, this initiative is financially supported by the Provincial Council of Córdoba and six municipalities in the south of Córdoba – Montilla, Montemayor, Moriles, Santaella, Nueva Carteya and La Rambla. The project aims to strengthen institutional, community and educational response capabilities in the fight against and attention to gender-based violence in Cusco. The organizations involved emphasize that while there are government efforts to address the problem in Peru, there remain significant gaps in support for young victims, particularly in the most vulnerable sectors.
Peru’s Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations reported that in 2023, 80.6% of women in Cusco reported having suffered some type of violence at some point in their lives, according to Europa Press. Among adolescent girls, 72% of victims belong to this age group and suffer from episodes of sexual violence, forced pregnancy, school dropout and limited access to psychological care. These data represent a scenario in which the protection of girls and adolescents remains a key challenge despite legislative efforts and programs implemented at the state level.
For nearly three decades, FSU and the Guaman Poma de Ayala Center have collaborated on various interventions aimed at protecting the rights of girls, youth and women in Peru. The way we work includes coordination with municipalities, schools and grassroots organizations. The new strategy proposes a comprehensive action to consolidate institutional and community responses to gender-based violence and seeks to translate protection into a real and effective situation.
The project’s core activities include strengthening municipal management through technical assistance, the participatory development of a local protocol for the comprehensive care of juvenile victims, all with an approach that respects human rights and puts the victim at the center. Europa Press explained in detail that the plan includes training for officials in the efficient and inclusive management of the budget to prevent violence, as well as the creation of listening spaces in the educational environment.
The intervention also envisages the training of school communicators responsible for leading prevention campaigns through social networks, community media and educational centers. This action aims to transform youth themselves, especially adolescent girls, into key actors in building safe environments and promoters of gender equality. Another priority is to strengthen community leaders, promote their social and economic autonomy and strengthen them as guarantors and defenders of rights in their territories.
As Europa Press reports, the joint design of a technical file on public investments is also planned to give municipalities the opportunity to sustainably integrate prevention measures into their policies. The project promotes communication campaigns to promote human rights and equality and views these as essential foundations for eliminating violence in the public and private spheres.
The role of adolescent girls has a special place in the proposal, which considers them not only as beneficiaries but also as active promoters of social change by carrying out campaigns, creating collective awareness and promoting safe environments. The approach adopted institutionalizes victim-centered care and restoration of rights and also emphasizes the development of local capacity to ensure continuity of action.
The FSU and the Guaman Poma de Ayala Center are seeking to have violence prevention included as a priority theme in Cusco’s urban and educational plans to ensure the sustainability and expansion of the intervention, according to Europa Press. Through this series of coordinated actions, the institutions hope to contribute concretely to closing existing gaps and strengthening community leadership in the defense of rights and gender equality in these Peruvian districts.
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