​Grants to three stellar Mexican grantee partners approved!

Posted 06 July 2018 in Grantee Partner News   |   Share

During EMpower’s June Grants Meeting, grants were approved for three Mexican organizations that address important issues affecting Mexican youth, including one new grantee partner. We are excited to continue to invest in incredible organizations creating positive change for young people in Mexico!

Youth in Mexico face many challenges. Increasing levels of violence in Mexico continue - with over 29,000 homicides, 2017 was Mexico’s most violent year on record, with rates continuing to grow in 2018. In particular, violence against women is a large issue in Mexico, due in part to deeply entrenched gender norms. Mexico also has the highest teenage pregnancy rate of all developed OECD countries. While the number of adolescent pregnancies has decreased since the government enacted a focused strategy to address this in 2015, this rate is still alarmingly high.

EMpower grantee partners are supporting adolescent boys and girls to reduce and prevent gender-based violence (GBV), by challenging gender norms, promoting gender equality and providing age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education.

The grants approved are:

SiKanda, Oaxaca, Mexico: EMpower’s 5th grant will provide training to strengthen the ability of 368 students to protect themselves from violence (particularly gender-based violence) and promote a culture of peace, strengthen their psychological health and well-being, and increase their leadership skills and visibility in their communities. This grant will also enable SiKanda to engage key adults in the community.

We are excited that the proposed work will engage the community in supporting youth, and focus on violence prevention (especially GBV), going deeper on topics such as human trafficking, alternative ways to be “masculine” and violence in dating relationships.

Cauce Ciudadano, A.C. (Cauce), Tlaxcala, Mexico: EMpower’s 3rd grant will help refine Cauce’s curriculum to be more grade-specific, and support sexual and reproductive health education and gender-equity training in eight schools serving 1550 middle school students. The grant will also enable Cauce to engage 245 parents and teachers on these issues, and support youth to dialogue with government officials about the challenges they face related to violence.

We are excited that for the first time, Cauce’s youth promotors will dialogue with government officials at the municipal and state level to share their experiences about the program and the challenges they face related to violence and sexual and reproductive health, in an effort to raise the visibility of youth and young participation in decision-making.

GENDES, A.C., Santa Ana Chiautempan, Tlaxcala and Mexico City, Mexico: EMpower’s 1st grant will train 100 eighth graders in Tlaxcala on the prevention of gender-based violence in dating relationships, and 100 eighth graders in Mexico City on preventing unwanted teenage pregnancy, with a focus on engaging men and boys. It will also support a consultant to evaluate the trainings’ impact, to better position GENDES to advocate for uptake among other NGOs and government.

We are excited to begin working with an organization with expertise in helping young men question traditional gender stereotypes such as “men don’t cry” or “men need to be tough,” and explore “alternative masculinities” that can lead to less violent behavior. We’re also looking forward to the learnings to come from the independent evaluation, to better understand, incorporate and disseminate results!

Lastly, another grantee partner approved in the fall is also working on these important issues:

Melel Xojobal, A.C. San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico: EMpower’s 2nd grant will provide in-school workshops on sexual and reproductive rights and gender equity for 215 indigenous high school students in an effort to combat unwanted teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence. Melel will also provide ongoing educational support for 25 indigenous youth to prevent school dropout.

We are excited to support an organization that focuses on indigenous youth, a particularly at-risk population. Also, their workshops include sessions on women’s rights and alternative masculinities!

Learn more about these, and EMpower's other inspiring grantee partners in Mexico, here!