Bolivia campaign aims for carnivals free of violence against women
La Paz, Feb 9 (EFE).- Carnival events free of violence against women and children is the objective of a Bolivian campaign launched Thursday seeking to raise awareness of the problem among those participating in the massive parades next week.
“Without masks, without violence” and “Depatriarchalizing our parties” are the slogans of the initiative promoted by the United Nations, the Bolivian government, the police unit against violence and five private entities, and which will be launched in coordination with the National Confederation of Religious Folk Associations of Bolivia.
“We want to recover and take advantage of our celebrations, our traditions to face the great challenge that we have in Bolivia to fight and eradicate violence against women,” said UN Women Bolivia program management specialist, Mónica Novillo, at the campaign launch at the Ministry of Culture.
Novillo said that during Jan. 12 femicides were registered in the country.
The initiative is part of the global “HeForShe” campaign of UN Women, which seeks to engage the efforts of men to eradicate violence and contribute to the construction of more just and egalitarian societies, she added.
Among the main actions, training will be given to associations of dancers and musicians who will participate in carnival parades in various Bolivian cities on the theme of violence.
Audiovisual and printed material will also be disseminated during these parades and in the media and social networks with awareness-raising messages and information about the entities that deal with cases of violence and the respective contact phone numbers to make complaints.
The president of the National Confederation of Folkloric and Religious Associations of Bolivia, Jacinto Quispaya, stressed the importance of these groups promoting “respect among human beings” and being part of initiatives to care for women and prevent violence.
Minister of Cultures Sabina Orellana highlighted that it is the first time that they will work with folklorists on the prevention of violence and indicated that this will not be limited to carnival, but will be replicated in other festivals throughout the year.
“Since Pachamama (Mother Earth) takes care of us all, let us all take care of the life of the Bolivian woman. Whether in the countryside or the city, it doesn’t matter, she is a Bolivian woman,” she said.
Carnival celebrations spread throughout Bolivia these days, with folkloric parades and parties taking place mostly between Feb. 18-21.
One of the central festivals is the famous Oruro Carnival, one of the most striking in South America declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2001. EFE
gb/tw
