Bolivia | Fons Mallorquí advanced work on gender equality

Fons Mallorquí organised the first meeting of “Mayor Women for Health, Wellbeing and Equality” (Mujeres Alcaldesas por la Salud, el Bienestar y la Equidad) in Bolivia on 20 May. The meeting aimed to create a conducive space for the presentation of experiences and the exchange of ideas.

Each panel discussion focused on topics relevant to local communities, such as sustainable development, gender equity, social inclusion, health promotion, or sexual reproductive health. All discussions aimed to incorporate diverse perspectives, collaboration, and a horizontal approach.

As a result, 80 elected women from Latin America, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Honduras, Mexico, and Peru, along with more than 24 Bolivian mayors, and a delegation of female elected authorities from Mallorca, accompanied by the Majorcan Fund, signed the Declaration of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The declaration establishes a commitment to “recognise and promote the active and equitable participation of women in local governance, guaranteeing their representation in all decision-making instances.”

The goal is to share and spread the findings from Santa Cruz, and to encourage discussions and debates among elected women in the local area of Mallorca and the Global South. These efforts will contribute to enhancing the successful implementation of public policies for developing the local economy and the care economy. Additionally, they will help to strengthen the capabilities of elected officials with a vision that encompasses both local and global perspectives.

More information here.

Les Elegides network to advance gender equality

Our partner Fons Mallorquí is an association of local governments comprising the 52 municipalities of Mallorca, the Council of Mallorca, and the Government of the Balearic Islands. The Fund serves as a coordinating body for decentralised cooperation in Mallorca, aiming to unite the efforts of local and regional governments to strengthen solidarity between the citizens of Mallorca and those in the Global South. It finances development cooperation projects in countries such as Burkina Faso, Lebanon, Mali, Senegal, Tunisia, and Bolivia, focusing on strategic axes including gender equality in political, economic, and public spheres.

Fons Mallorquí has initiated the establishment of Les Elegides (elected women’s network) to address governance aspects that contribute to advancing gender equality. These aspects include the leadership and effective participation of women in decision-making in local politics, security and city planning, as well as the promotion of women’s rights, within the context of decentralized cooperation.

In 2022, with the support of the Mallorca Council, Fons Mallorquí organised an international meeting for elected women from 7 different countries. The event saw the participation of over 70 women. The success of the meeting led to a demand from elected women in the South to create similar exchange spaces.

As a result, the Fund continued to support and highlight the work of elected women in the South. ACOBOL, the Association of Councilors of Bolivia, has played a pivotal role in facilitating mutual learning actions, such as the 1st International Meeting of Batless Women, and other supported projects such as the establishment of a monitoring centre for political violence against women and the development of participatory budgets with a gender focus.