Project name: Tackling gender based violence in Brazil

Project dates: June 2013- June 2016

Implementing Partner organisation: Anglican Service for Diaconia and Development

Project locations: Ariquemes (in the northern state of Rondonia) and Santa Maria (in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul).

Context

Every fifteen seconds a Brazilian woman suffers from domestic violence. Between the period of 2000 – 2010, 43, 654 women were killed, almost half of them by someone in their family.

Since Christian Aid began working in Brazil in the late 1070s the country has changed. Policies are more progressive and levels of poverty have been reduced. However, wealth and power remain in the hands of a few. Christian Aid commissioned a report “The Real Brazil: The inequality behind statistics” which found that despite its advances, 16 million Brazilians are still living in abject poverty.

Implementing Partner organisation

The Anglican Service on Diaconia and Development (SADD) is a service of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil and a longstanding partner of Christian Aid. SADD advocates for the rights of vulnerable communities and women affected by gender based violence.

The organisation’s guiding principles are:

1. To witness to all people the love of Christ that reconciles, saves and forgives.
2. To build communities of faith that will gather together, celebrate and transform Brazilian society.
3. To live in solidarity with the poor and needy.
4. To challenge injustice, oppression and violence.
5. To protect, preserve and renew the life of our planet.
6. To promote an atmosphere of peace throughout Brazil.

The challenge to prevent gender based violence within the church and in society is an important priority for SADD. They have developed plans to support both social and political actions across Brazil through advocating in a theological and pastoral manner.

SADD are continually inspired by Jesus’ affirmation that he came to bring abundant life to all people (John 10:10), they see it as their role as Christians to denounce violence against women and to offer survivors of such violence the chance to live an abundant life.

Christian Aid and SADD

Christian Aid worked previously with SADD to co-publish a training manual “The prevention and tackling of gender-based violence against women” in order to raise awareness, motivate deeper pastoral work and inspire real change for many families. This manual is now being widely used in Brazil and is having a significant impact in many societies.

Since 2011 SADD has been supporting a Safe House called Noeli dos Santos, in Ariquemes. This Safe House was established by the local Anglican Parish and to date has supported 273 women victims of domestic violence. The Head of Christian Aid Scotland visited this refuge in 2013 and was deeply impressed by the work it does with very few resources and whilst under a continued threat of violence. Since then the Safe House has strengthened links with both the local social services and the police, and has developed a plan to create a path of economic independence through baking bread for the women who use the House.

In addition to this, SADD has been supporting a project “Gender and Rights” in Santa Maria, which has been training women on bread production so they will have the skills to generate their own income through baking and selling bread. This project requires further development to ensure they are working to tackle the violence these women are experiencing.

Tackling Gender-based violence in Brazil

The work of SADD throughout the churches in Brazil has been both bold and strong in tackling gender violence, and has given women who are survivors the opportunity to discover that they themselves can support their families, raise their self-esteem and transform their lives to be free from violence so they can then enjoy the fullness of life.

Objectives

To strengthen the personal and economic autonomy of women in Ariquemes and Santa Maria through

1. Rights awareness
2. The promotion and commercialisation of bread made in 2 local bakeries and run by women involved in the centres in Santa Maria and Ariquemes.

Activities

1. Hold 36 workshops on the rights of women and gender based violence prevention. This plans to reach 840 women/ year which will then indirectly benefit 1260 people.
2. Hold four monthly workshops in Santa Maria and Ariquemes.

• Provide technical assistance to guarantee protection and other judicial rights.

1. Conduct a feasibility study and business plan for the future of the two bakeries.
2. Facilitate three exchange visits for co-ordinators of Ariquemes and Santa Maria to ensure shared learning.
3. Local clergy in both areas will follow this work and offer spiritual guidance to the women involved in these activities and have received confirmation that they can also rely on further pastoral support of the Primate of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil.

• The Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil has included the theme of gender justice into its agenda and will be conveying messages from their pulpits.

Budget

 

Item	Cost R$	Cost £	Cost €
1. Training Activities	R$ 88.000,00	£23,672.00	€31,578.45
2. Exchange activities between Ariquemes and Santa Maria	R$ 22.000,00	£5,918.00	€7,894.61
3. Feasibility study and business plan for the two bakeries	R$ 10.000,00	£2,690.00	€3,588.46
4. Purchase and Maintenance of key equipment.	R$ 51.000,00	£13,719.00	€18,301.15
5. Supplies for initial bread production	R$ 34.000,00	£9,146.00	€12,200.76
6. Communication materials on gender based violence prevention translated	R$ 35.000,00	£9,415.00	€12,559.61
7. Activities for Monitoring and Evaluation of the project	R$ 15.000,00	£4,035.00	€5,382.69
8. Administration and human resources	R$ 45.000,00	£12,105.00	€16,148.07
Total:	R$ 300.000,00	£80,700,00	€107,653.8