Bolivia has drastically reduced poverty among the population over the last two decades. This has been achieved thanks to economic growth, higher taxes for transnational companies and social transfers to the population. However, there are still inequalities in access to public services such as health and education, e.g. for women. At the same time, violence against women is a major social problem. Solidar Suisse campaigns for equal access to health and education for all, strengthens civil society organisations and works with partner organisations to combat gender-based violence.
Poverty reduced - inequality persists
The integration of the indigenous majority has made great progress since 2006, when Evo Morales was elected as the first indigenous president.
Thanks to redistribution measures in favour of the poor, the strengthening of the state in the economy and favourable commodity prices, Bolivia reduced extreme poverty from 19.2 to 2.0 percent (USD 2.15 PPP) between 2005 and 2021. The Gini index, which measures income inequality, fell from 58.5 to 40.9 points.
When the global market prices for raw materials collapsed in 2015, the ten-year economic boom suffered a severe setback. And access to resources remains very unequally distributed. This affects women and young people in particular. The vast majority of the population is in informal or precarious employment. Seven out of ten women experience violence in their lives. Political polarisation, the ongoing crisis in the justice system and the climate crisis are major challenges for the country. Bolivia is one of the countries with the highest deforestation rate in the Amazon lowlands and is increasingly struggling with droughts.
Life expectancy: 64.9 years
Average life expectancy in Switzerland: 83.6 years
Literacy rate: 4.3 %
Literacy rate among adults in Switzerland: 99.9 %
Gini Index: 40.9
The Gini Index measures the degree of income inequality: The higher the number, the more inequality. Switzerland: 32.7
Extreme poverty: 4.4 %
People who have to live on less than 1.90 dollars a day.
In Bolivia, Solidar Suisse is championing democratic values and participation. We create access to fair work with a particular focus on young people and we combat violence against women.
In the LanzArte project, young people use theatre, dance and film to express their concerns. With new self-confidence, they stand up for their rights. Solidar Suisse has a recipe that successfully creates job opportunities for young people. The ingredients are round tables, further training, internships, start-up funding for start-ups and coaching.
Solidar has supported the formation of networks against violence against women in around 140 communities (this corresponds to 40 percent of all communities in Bolivia). These networks offer support for those affected and initiate social change.
«After my studies, the Solidar project gave me the chance to undertake an internship at a radio station. I’ve now got a job in television. I enjoy standing in front of the camera and the job enables me to feed my seven-year-old son.»
