Women’s marginalisation, worsened by the lack of education and productive training, limits the development of the rural society; the existing programs are unavailable for them, besides, these programs do not acknowledge the conditions in which women live, when in many cases, they are the breadwinners.

The project in Pro de la Mujer is an initiative of the Foundation, supported by the Foundation Walmart México and the collaboration of other institutions such as Gender and Nutrition, that share the same objective: to promote a way out of poverty and reduce health problems and malnutrition, through the full development of women-empowerment-; preparing them as persons and mothers of family and for achieving productive projects that improve their families integral well-being.

Objective

To contribute to the well-being of families with less resources by a program that promotes economic activity and the full development of rural women.

Benefited people

Low-income women who live in high marginalised areas with no access to educative, technical and financial services and training.

The people who participate in this program are mainly women, family mothers, half of these women studied elementary school but the rest did not finish their elementary school studies or did not even go to school. In this last group the indigenous group of Chatino women, who represent 10% of the women who participate in this program, is included.

Progress

The first Encounter of Women that participate in En Pro de la Mujer took place in November 2010. Outstanding changes in the attitude of the participants were observed as well as in their expectations about a better future for them and their families.

The most evident changes can be observed at an individual level, for example,regarding their bodies and ideas; nevertheless, being able to get organized in groups paved the way for progress.

There are cases of groups that have started other independent projects and the saving funds generated in each group represent a meaningful change in this empowerment process because they are capable of managing resources in a responsible way and generate surplus for reinvesting in their development.