Women Empowerment Program

Argentina continues to grapple with deep-rooted human rights issues, particularly the pervasive violence against women. Despite the enactment of a comprehensive law in 2009 to prevent and punish such violence, the unchecked homicides of women persist as a major concern.

Recognizing the pivotal role of gender equality and women’s empowerment, the focus has shifted towards enhancing women’s economic empowerment. This includes bolstering women as key drivers of poverty reduction, as well as fostering female participation in investment and entrepreneurship.

Volunteers in the Women Empowerment Program work at a project led by a group of women dedicated to supporting others who face social risks, aiming to enhance their quality of life through emotional support and skill-building. The primary goal of this project is to equip women with vocational skills that will pave the way for future employment opportunities.

Moreover, the project serves as a platform for open discussions, providing women with the opportunity to share their domestic situations and realise that there are alternatives. Many women in the targeted neighbourhood have been confined to a cycle of limited prospects, lacking access to education and suffering from domestic violence. Helping these women recognize that their circumstances are not the norm is a crucial step in alleviating and managing their challenges, while empowering them to strive for a better quality of life.

The overarching objective is to lend support to women’s initiatives and projects that strive to advance gender equality as a catalyst for broader social transformation.

Want to see other ways to make an impact? Check out our Volunteer in South America programs.

Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities

Every morning, volunteers enthusiastically take part in a variety of workshops including textile, recycling, clothing, knitting, crocheting, porcelain, and technology, among others. This enables them to form meaningful connections with the women involved in the project. Once they feel integrated, the volunteers can engage with the women, offering them support, guidance, or simply lending an ear to listen and understand their unique perspectives. Furthermore, volunteers play a pivotal role in organizing fairs and events where these empowered women can showcase and sell their products. In the afternoons, volunteers also contribute by assisting in food delivery. Additionally, on Saturdays, there’s an opportunity to help with constructing a new workshop which the women are building with their own hands.

Some of the initiatives that volunteers participate:
 

• Give technical, legal and psychological counselling to the women that require it in order to build their capacities, and support them in achieving their projects, according to their own vision and work strategies.

• Through communication strategies, manage their social media network to promote their projects and share their work experience.

• Mobilise resources from international and local donors to fund local initiatives and women’s grassroots organisations in Argentina.

• To promote and strengthen women’s leadership within their local initiatives, to organize meetings to exchange experiences with other women and getting them in contact with other sources of technical and financial resources.

Requirements & eligibility

Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the time of joining the project. You need to have an open mind and a flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. The volunteer should bring energy and enthusiasm to make a difference. Participants must be fit and healthy at the time of joining the program. Participants should have no criminal convictions and should provide a clean criminal background check report.

In addition:

• You must be tolerant towards others and respect the differences

• You must welcome team work but also be able to work alone

• You must be able to speak and understand Spanish

• You have to be a proactive person, we welcome volunteers with initiative

• The minimum length to apply for this program is 4 weeks