Founded in 2017, Mano Vuelta works to empower girls in Oaxaca, Mexico, to become advocates for their rights within their communities. Mano Vuelta has led several initiatives, including The Artistic and Feminist Camp, a program which operates in 5 regions of Oaxaca and has reached over 2000 girls and young women. The organization has also organized comprehensive sexuality education programs for parents and caregivers across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund will support Mano Vuelta’s efforts to provide indigenous and Afro-Mexican girls with education regarding sexual violence and early marriages. Violence against girls and women is a pressing issue in Oaxaca, and Indigenous and Afro-Mexican girls are particularly vulnerable due to social disadvantages, discrimination, and a lack of comprehensive sexuality education. As a result, many girls struggle with mental health and are more likely to drop out of school and marry at a young age.
Mano Vuelta will expand its The Artistic and Feminist Camp to an additional 30 girls. Over a week, the camp will offer workshops on sexual violence prevention, reproductive rights, socio-emotional skills, self-defense, and more. Girls will be taught skills like setting limits, asking for help and expressing their emotions, self-defense, and menstrual hygiene management. Participants will also present a play to the local community, titled “In My Body and In My Heart, I Make the Decision.” The play will focus on themes like autonomy and consent and will end with an audience participation segment where attendees will be able to discuss the play and its message. Through these programs, Mano Vuelta hopes to affect transformative change, inspiring girls to advocate for themselves and share their knowledge with their peers and family members.
See more projects: North America, North America, Child Marriage, Gender-based Violence, Health & Wellbeing