PV challenges: “Women can’t make decisions about money”
As mentioned in our previous articles within this series, it is common that women in El Salvador are expected to do unpaid work and/or remain at home. According to society, this is the most important role women fulfill. On the other hand, men are seen as the head of the household and the one who […]
PV Challenges: “Woman, you look prettier with your mouth shut”
Calladita te ves más bonita. You look prettier with your mouth shut. How many are familiar with this phrase? Here in El Salvador this phrase is commonly heard among women’s groups as a subtle reminder of two things: 1) Women should aspire toward being “physically beautiful.” Keeping opinions to yourself is one of the ways […]
PV Challenges: “Decisions are made by the man of the house. Women must keep their opinions to themselves”
In 2018, Marina Subirats, an expert in feminism, coeducation, and education for equality, gave her opinion on the book “Emilio” by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, considered a benchmark in education. The philosopher highlights the importance of reinforcing children’s freedom and self-confidence. However, in one chapter, in particular, Rousseau mentions that girls specifically must be contradicted to prevent […]
PV challenges: “Women should stay home cleaning and taking care of their children”
Much is said about how equality between men and women is growing. Despite some achievements, something that has not yet changed in El Salvador is that women are expected to stay at home, run their household and care for their children without having another option. But are people aware that women have other options? In […]
Updates on the COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund
Solidarity and trust are the values that donors who contributed to the COVID Relief and Recovery Fund for Family showed us last April. Through this campaign, we raised $28,030.99, to exclusively alleviate the most pressing needs that our participants are experiencing due to the COVID-19 crisis. For most families, their main source of income comes […]
Challenges of remote learning: the experiences of entrepreneurs as caregivers and teachers
Remote learning was the response after classes in public and private schools were suspended due to the COVID-19 crisis back in March. Entrepreneurs with children did not feel comfortable leaving them at home during this time but they were also worried about how or how much their children will learn from home. As of August, […]
6 ways PV works to implements a trauma-informed care approach
Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is an approach that has emerged to work with those who have gone through difficult or traumatizing situations. Through this approach, it is important to create an environment focused on an individual’s comfort. The goal of TIC is for participants to feel safe and secure. Author Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., says […]
What COVID-19 means for women entrepreneurs in the informal sector in El Salvador
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the global economy and El Salvador has been no exception to those effects. The application of measures to prevent and control the spread of the virus required the closure of shops, intense sanitary procedures, as well as the regulation of essential businesses that were required to stay open during the […]
Thank You! – 2020 Giving Day Reflections
Since July 2016, Programa Velasco (PV) has celebrated its annual Giving Day. Organized out of our headquarters in El Salvador but held online, Giving Day brings together supporters from various different countries and is our largest annual fundraising event each year. Through the years we have learned a great deal about how to best facilitate […]
The invisible effects in mental health that will show sooner than later
COVID-19 shook the health and economy of the modern world. Without an end in sight, there is more talk of a “new normal,” than returning to the life we had five months ago. It has become evident that we may have to live with the virus for many more months and, perhaps, even years. Encouragingly […]