QCQ# 10 Alone You are Nobody, Together We Float: The Manuela ...

When I was younger, I saw my father hurt my
mother and I was very anxious. I was always
very frightened when my father drank. I would
like to teach young people about abuse, so there
won’t be any anymore.
Crispin, age 20,
youth promoter in Canchabamba
Sexuality and family life. Knowledge, attitudes,
and experiences related to sexuality and family
life are also changing.
The training opened the subject of how to
have relations, to have . . . pleasure. He learned
about the clitoris (smiling). It is a big change.
Juana, age 49, coordinator in Acopalca
Marilena, coordinator of the broom factory,
describes how her husband felt threatened
by her working:
He said, “You have more education than I
do. Now you’re going to earn more money than
I do. You are wearing the pants in the family.”
But now he’s running for mayor of the district
and I am helping him in his campaign. My sons
have learned to do more. They help cook and
clean. And now my husband wants to learn how
to make the brooms, too!
Ucayali regional coordinator Nydia
Villavicencio Rios describes how contact with
the ReproSalud project affects gender relations
in the women’s marriages: “The women say, ‘Before,
when my husband came home drunk I had
to serve him [sexually]. Now I know he can’t take
me by force, because I have the right.’ And when
we talk with the men, we are finding an openness
to change.”
Community-level empowerment. The
study of women’s empowerment at the community
level found increases in:
• Internal unity of the mothers’ groups;
• Status and activity of the groups and their
members throughout the village;
• Level of influence of the group in advocating
in the larger municipal government; and
• Activity and effectiveness of the group in
advocating for improvements in quality of
care in local health services.
At the village meetings, more women give their
opinion, whatever opinion. Before, the men would
say, “Why do the women have to get mixed up in
this?” Now the men don’t say a thing about it.
Angelica, age 37, three children,
past president of OCB in Huarimayo
Our community has never had a woman
president. Yes, I could be president. I would improve
many things here.
Domitila, age 33, four children,
president of OCB in Huaripampa Bajo
ReproSalud is working in Huarimayo. The
women are taking a great role. Their work is totally
practical. They are tired of working and
then being dominated by the men. They came
here for help with building their house [headquarters]
and we are helping them. The leaders
are here all the time, and they are demanding!
(smiling). The leaders are very good; despite all
the machismo, they get things done. I have confidence
in the women.
Mayor Garcia,
Head of Chavin Municipality
Even within the same community, respondents’
opinions differed about the degree of
positive change in local health services. Many
women felt that services had improved, while
others did not think anything had changed.
Leaders at the hospitals and health centers appear
to appreciate the contribution and support
ReproSalud is providing.
Before, the people at the hospital threatened
us, that we should use family planning. They treated
us like that, they put us down. Now it is better.
Primitiva, age 32, three children,
subproject treasurer in Huarimayo
Before, they didn’t take good care of us at
the hospital . . . they said we were bothering
them. We told the director that we had rights,
that they needed to take care of us. Now they
attend to us well; they take care of us quickly.
Angelica, age 37, three children,
past president of OCB in Huarimayo
At first, we were afraid of addressing the
director of the hospital. We were trembling. But
he received us well. The director told us that he
didn’t want the people from the country to be
treated badly. Now we are not afraid. But it
hasn’t changed. They haven’t done anything. The
receptionists treat us worse. The nurses are bad,
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