Project Summary of “Paraguay Includes” by Coordinadora por los Derechos de la Infancia y la Adolescencia

Project title: Paraguay Includes Project: Rights of Young and Adolescent Boys and Girls with Disabilities 

Organization: Coordinadora por los Derechos de la Infancia y la Adolescencia (CDIA) 

Country: Paraguay 

Budget: $175,000 

Project implementation period: 1 September 2018–31 August 2021 (no-cost extension until 28 February 2022) 

This paper summarizes the three-year project implemented by the civil society organization (CSO) Coordinadora por los Derechos de la Infancia y la Adolescencia (CDIA) in Paraguay from 2018 to 2021 with a small grant from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women.

The project aimed to provide members of CSOs and community groups, and education professionals and public officials, with information, training, tools, analytical data, and technical assistance to improve inter-institutional and intersectoral coordination and increase the effectiveness of efforts to prevent violence and address its consequences.

Key findings 

The project: 

actively involved CSOs, activist groups, key government players, and children and adolescents with disabilities;

strengthened state institutions and CSOs by: 

providing support and technical assistance to improve inter-institutional and intersectoral coordination and communication at national and local levels, and

enhancing cooperation between government institutions, civil society and users of public services for the effective implementation of national and local public policies; and

made significant contributions to addressing violence against girls; violence in the community, including sexual violence; violence in schools and public spaces; and human trafficking.

Legacy 

The findings and lessons learned from the project are crucial for other practitioners and partners working to end violence against women and girls. The project's outcomes are also informing the next stage of the project and contributing to raising awareness for sustained investment in CDIA and its efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls with disabilities, and support gender equality in Paraguay.