Using a pre-designed questionnaire, information was collected from 67 institutions working in the area of gender-based violence in Bolivia. Of these, 76.1% are government agencies and the rest are NGOs. Responses were provided by institutions in La Paz (9%), Oruro (13.4%), Potosí (16.4%), Pando Cobija (9%), Sucre (7.5%), Santa Cruz (7.5%), Trinidad Beni (13.4%), Cochabamba (13.4%) and Tarija (10.4%). Percentages indicated do not necessarily reflect the presence of more institutions in any particular region.

Occurrence and Prevalence

Data provided by Servicios Legales Integrales from November 1994 to July 1997 indicate that a total of 25,875 cases were submitted in the nine departments of the country. The largest number was reported in the eastern department of San Cruz (40.8%).

Data can be broken down as follows:

Legislation

The legal framework of the Bolivian State includes the following laws specifically addressing gender-based violence:

• Chapter on Domestic Violence within the Penal Code, and the repeal of articles 276 of the Penal Code and article 112 of the Code on Criminal Proceedings (1993)
• Law 1674 against Family or Domestic Violence (December 1995)

Governmental Response

The following mechanisms for political action exist to address violence against women:

National Policy

• National Plan for the Prevention and Eradication of Violence Against Women (Ministerial Resolution No. 139.94), under the Ministry of Human Development as part of actions by the Secretariat for Ethnic Affairs in the Gender and Generational areas
• Departmental Gender Units (in the nine departments)
• Municipal Offices for Women (at the local level)

 The National Plan contemplates the operationalization of two services: Basic Legal Services (Servicios Legales Integrales) and Family Protection Brigades (Brigadas de Protección a la Familia). There were thirty-seven Basic Legal Services units and seven brigades as of July 1997.

 Sectoral Policy

• "Violence Against Women and Girls Project," Ministry of Health and Social Provision, along with the Vice-Minister of Gender, Generation and Family Affairs and the Pan-American Health Organization

• "Program for Prevention of Violence in Schools," Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports

Response by Civil Society

The report represents information gathered from 14 NGOs in the nine departments of Bolivia: La Paz (3), Oruro (1), Potosí (1), Sucre (1), Santa Cruz (2), Cochabamba (4), Tarija (1).

Services

State services to address and attend violence against women are provided at two operational levels--Basic Legal Services and the Family Protection Brigades--in capital cities, mid-sized cities and rural areas.

Of the 14 NGOs that submitted information for this report, 92.8% provide legal counseling and 78.5% psychological counseling. In 71.3% of the cases, legal services include social counseling and 7.1% of the organizations offer medical-legal services.

Another type of NGO service is training, follow-up for cases of violence, information dissemination about rights, strengthening of women, production of educational material and others.