THE "WOMEN'S ACCESS TO PRODUCTIVE RESOURCES" PROGRAM

Strengthening the Organization of Central American "Campesinas"

Without a doubt, a correlation exists between poverty and the lack of access to productive resources. Studies demonstrate that this is particularly the case for women, who possess fewer productive resources than men. In the first phase of this project, the Center for Human Progress documented women's reduced access to land through a series of studies carried out in each of the Central American countries. The second phase of the project, currently underway, aims to promote the training and strengthen the organization of Central American rural women so that they may become actively involved in the creation and implementation of public policies related to access to productive resources, especially land.

The objectives of the project are the following:

• To strengthen the organization of rural women in each of the Central American countries.

• To train rural women to address the areas of highest priority and need in order to strengthen their organizations.

• To promote cooperation between rural women's organizations in Central America.

Technical Assistance for Rural Development

The Embassy of Holland, located in San José, finances various rural development projects throughout Central America. Currently, a gender perspective has not been incorporated into these projects. In 1997, the Center of Human Progress will work together with the World Conservation Union in to ensure that a gender perspective is a part of Holland's rural development projects.

The objectives of the project are the following:

• Development Objective: Convert Central America's development initiatives and rural development projects into vehicles for empowerment and the improvement of the quality of life for the region's inhabitants. This process will be guided by the principles of equity and democracy.

• General Objective of the Proposal: Contribute to the equal participation of women and men in the design, execution, decision-making, and the access, use and control of the benefits of rural development initiatives.

1. Design and socialize methodologies and action-oriented instruments that encourage the incorporation of a gender perspective into rural development initiatives.

2. Draft and support the execution of a permanent program to sensitize, train and provide technical assistance to encourage the incorporation of a gender perspective in rural development initiatives, at both the national and regional level. The daily life of the communities involved and the central duties of participating institutions will serve as a basis for the elaboration of the permanent program.

3. Facilitate the incorporation of a gender perspective into formal education programs, and in a few cases, informal education programs.

4. Help create an environment that will ensure the sustained incorporation of a gender perspective into rural development initiatives.

"WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS" PROGRAM

Education and Communication about Women's Rights in Central America

Central American women suffer discrimination in the political, economic and social spheres. In order to eliminate such discrimination, it is essential that women become educated about their human rights. Training and information will provide women with the tools they need to ensure that their rights are being upheld and advocate for the fulfillment of the commitments made in the United Nation's World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995.

The Center recently initiated the second phase of the project "Education and Communication about Women's Human Rights in Central America". Its objectives are:

• To strengthen women's knowledge about their rights

• To strengthen the influence of the women's movement in public policies

• To educate the public about women's rights and to contribute to the creation of a culture that respects these rights.

The second phase of the "Education and Communication about Women's Rights in Central America" project began in September, 1996, with the identification of partner organizations in each of the Central American countries. Over the next three years, these organizations will implement the project in their respective countries with support from the Arias Foundation. The execution of the project is possible thanks to the Ministry of Cooperation in Holland.

Adolecents Human Rights - Prevention of Pregnancy and AIDS

Teenage pregnancy is a problem common to all Central American countries. One of the many consequences of early motherhood is its effect on a woman's ability to integrate herself successfully into society. The "Adolescents Human Rights - Prevention of Pregnancy and AIDS" project has the objective of presenting adolescents an increased and diversified variety of options for their lives, as well as to help build self-esteem and self-identity. The project methodology involves dissemination campaigns through the mass media and workshops, which will be held in different marginalized communities throughout Central America.

The project is comprised of the following phases:

1. Design of the work plan. With the participation of adolescents and specialists in the areas of adolescents, communication and education, a work plan has been designed in each Central American country.

2. The Center will begin the implementation of the work plan with in Costa Rica, and will use this experience to improve upon the plan for execution in the rest of the Central American countries.

Women's Participation in the Central American Peace Process

Women have disproportionately borne the burden of the armed conflicts in the region, while being almost completely excluded from decision-making processes. Despite the lack of formal spaces for political participation, women have nonetheless managed to contribute to the peace processes through alternative modes of participation. The "Women's Participation in Central American Peace Process" aims to increase the visibility of the armed conflicts' effects on women, as well as highlight women's participation in the peace processes. Interviews with female leaders, refugees, displaced and reintegrated women will document their experiences, and will be presented in both a printed publication and a video. These resources will be discussed in national workshops and in a regional workshop on the topic of women in the Central American peace process.

Sexual and Reproductive Health

Women have different necessities and interests regarding the utilization of resources in the health sector. However, the health sector usually does not incorporate a gender perspective into its programs. The objective of this project is to supervise the fulfillment of agreements on women's reproductive and sexual health issues, which were signed by the Government of Costa Rica in the World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) and the International Population Conference (Cairo, 1994), as well as in other international conferences.

* Design borrowed from the International Center of the Women's Tribunal