Did you know? Bolivia ranks second to last in a global study of 142 countries rating systems of criminal justice.¹ This highlights a serious structural crisis facing the judiciary system, as well as a catastrophic situation for those seeking justice daily.

“Someone who sexually assaults a child in Bolivia is more likely to die slipping in the shower or bathtub than to sentenced to jail for their crime.”

- Gary Haugen, Founder of The International Justice Mission

Due to this deplorable situation, individuals who undergo criminal trials face a daily ordeal in the procedures they initiate. The scenario becomes even more catastrophic when we talk about women seeking justice for themselves and their families. Being a woman in a highly misogynistic society is already a monumental disadvantage. And what happens if you’re a woman in sexual exploitation? The situation is exacerbated even further, leading her into a state of total marginalization.

Women are not only violated in spaces where sexual exploitation occurs, but also in spaces where they seek justice for themselves and their families. They are discriminated against and excluded, generating a state of systemic vulnerability and marginalization that is prevalent in our society and should prompt us to engage in processes of reflection and immediate attention in response to the full exercise of their universal rights.

Through our model, we respond to this priority need for rights restoration and quality care in addressing these women and their families.

Often when a woman arrives to our facility, she is in a total state of vulnerability, unable to recognize her current reality and normalizing all forms of existing violence. But thanks to timely, trauma-informed care, the multidisciplinary team builds trust with her and begins to address her immediate needs. We provide tools for personal development and accompany the processes closely, so that she does not feel alone and abandoned.

Once we address the crisis situation, we develop an immediate action plan to generate sustainability. Many of them need to initiate legal processes for family assistance, as their children have suffered parental abandonment. Many of them also need to face even more complicated processes related to physical and sexual violence against their young children or even themselves.

Supporting these processes first and foremost requires deep determination for a woman to decide to initiate a legal process. It requires courage because, as stated above, we are dealing with a judicial system in crisis that does not effectively respond to the needs of the people. Women need support to face these processes; the Project Suma team walks alongside them to complete administrative procedures, provide emotional support when women become overwhelmed facing their aggressors, and support the woman when it comes to defending her rights.

Last year, thanks to all the work and support of the Women's Program team, we won two cases of Child and Adolescent Rape, achieving justice for the victims of this crime. And we also won six family assistance cases, restoring the rights and economic sustainability for these families.

It´s easy to offer platitudes in response to someone else’s pain. It requires much more energy and time to actively engage in their healing process. But when we say "You are not alone," we aim to accompany, support and encourage women in all the processes of healing they have to face.

Paola Blanco, Women's Program Coordinator

1. The 2023 Rule of Law Index is compiled annually by the Justice Project to assess the judicial system of each country. It considers 8 parameters for evaluation: https://worldjusticeproject.org/rule-of-law-index/global/2023/Bolivia/Criminal%20Justice/