Mujeres de Xochilt

Mujeres de Xochilt is a collective of girls and young women of indigenous origin established in 2008 in El Salvador. It works to organise and empower girls and young women to de-normalise violence and to advocate for SRHR. Based in Nahuizalco on the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range, the organisation works with communities on gender education campaigns through art, theatre and workshops in schools. It works mainly with girls and young women aged 12 to 28, most of whom are out of education, single mothers or live in rural areas with no access to sexual and reproductive services. Mujeres de Xochilt has set up centres where women and girls can increase their knowledge of sexual and reproductive health. It also provides art and theatre coaching and runs film forums. At the centres, there are leadership and community management classes as well as training programmes for workers of the local maize mill. Mujeres de Xochilt has a strong girl leadership aspect to its work and its programmes and activities are dictated by the girls’ needs. Thanks to its strong ties to the community, the organisation has gained the trust of those it works with. It has helped many girls and young women who had been facing violence to regain their self-esteem and self-confidence.