Support women and young people in Central America

Solidar Suisse in Central America

Solidar Suisse creates prospects for women and young people, combats violence against women and helps disadvantaged people in Central America to live better lives.

Inequality and violence

The Covid-19 pandemic has driven poverty, inequality and political instability in Central America. The restrictions on movement have led many workers in the informal sector to suffer significant losses of income.

Human rights violations, impunity and corruption weaken both society and state institutions. Criminal groups thrive in a climate of generalised fear and state repression. Poverty and a lack of future prospects lead young people to be recruited into these groups. Women often suffer sexual violence and exploitation and are affected by extremely restrictive abortion laws.

In addition, in recent years increasingly severe droughts and flooding have caused significant damage. Climate change destroys or severely threatens the livelihoods of many rural communities and small-scale farmers. These factors also lead hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Some of them live as internally displaced persons in their own countries, while others risk their lives by fleeing north.

Life expectancy: 74 years Average life expectancy in Switzerland: 83,6 years
Literacy rate: 86% Literacy rate among adults in Switzerland: 99.9 %
Gini-Index: 46 The Gini-Index measures the degree of income inequality: The higher the number, the more inequality. Switzerland: 32,7

Jugendkomitee mit Trommeln in El Salvador

Music against violence in El Salvador. © Solidar Suisse

Creating prospects

Solidar Suisse’s support in Central America has a special focus on young people and women. We promote a culture of democratic participation to counter organised crime.

We work with local NGOs, small-scale farmers and youth and women’s groups. In addition, we promote employment options for young people through vocational training programmes. In rural areas we work in cooperation with farmer organisations to champion the development of sustainable and climate-resilient production methods.

We also provide humanitarian assistance. In recent years, hurricanes, droughts and the Covid-19 pandemic have caused significant damage. Alongside direct assistance in the wake of disasters, we work in cooperation with communities to improve prevention in order to better protect people from the impacts of climate change.

Projects in Central-America

Solidar Suisse supports young people to live a life free from violence and to access sex education and job prospects.