The Constitution of Bolivia guarantees equal rights for men and women, but in general, Bolivian women have a lower level of protection than men. Many women are not aware of their rights and the boundaries of tradition remain strong. Living conditions for Bolivian women are among the most difficult in Latin America; they are often the victims of violence and discrimination, and cultural prejudice still limits their access to land. Nevertheless, the overall situation of women appears to have improved in recent years.
Protection of Bolivian women within the family needs to be further improved. The legal minimum age for marriage is 14 years for women and 16 years for men. In principle, early marriage between teenagers requires parental consent, but a judge can authorise the marriage even when the parents refuse to agree. A 2004 United Nations report estimated that 12 per cent of girls between 15 and 19 years of age were married, divorced or widowed.
Polygamy is not a common practice in Bolivia.
The division of labour in the home is still marked by gender stereotypes. Women make decisions about household chores on their own, but it is estimated that, in one out of five cases, men make lone decisions about major household purchases. No precise information is available about parental authority and custody rights in Bolivia.
Bolivian women and men have equal inheritance rights.
The physical integrity of Bolivian women is not sufficiently protected. Violence against women remains a major problem and represents more than half of all assaults in the country. Despite a specific law prohibiting it, domestic violence is still common. Half of the women in Bolivia are believed to have suffered physical, psychological or sexual violence at the hands of their partners at some time in their lives; nine out of ten women are thought to have suffered from violence in general, compared to only one man in ten. Rape is also a serious problem. Generally, it is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, or 20 years for the rape of a child under the age of 14. The law does not recognise spousal rape.
Female genital mutilation is not practised Bolivia, and it does not appear to be a country of concern in relation to missing women.
Bolivian legislation grants women the same ownership rights as men, but discriminatory practices remain. Women continue to suffer discrimination in regard to access to land, largely because of cultural prejudice. The 1996 Land Reform Act states that land should be allocated, administered, owned and used according to the principles of equality. A 2006 survey by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women found that, in 2004, 40 per cent of land was allocated to women, either individually or under joint ownership, as compared to only 9 per cent in 1990.
Women in Bolivia have the same rights to access to property other than land as men, and can enter into contracts and administer assets on the same legal basis. This legislation has had a positive impact only in urban areas; discrimination persists in rural regions, primarily due to cultural tradition.
Access to bank loans in Bolivia is often more difficult for women than for men, largely because women have limited financial resources. Micro-credit programmes targeted specifically at women make it possible for them obtain some loans, but the sums involved are typically lower than those lent to men by formal banking institutions.
The civil liberties of Bolivian women seem to be well respected; there are no reported restrictions on their freedom of movement or freedom of dress.
CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) (2002), Gender Profile: Bolivia, CIDA, Gatineau, QC.
CEDAW (Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women) (2006), Consideration of Re¬ports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Bolivia, Combined Second, Third and Fourth Periodic Reports of States Parties, CEDAW/C/BOL/2-4, CEDAW, New York, NY.
Guerra, W., L. Ochoa and M. Sardán (2003), Demographic and Health Survey: Bolivia, Demographic and Health Surveys, www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pub_details.cfm?ID=485&srchTp=advanced.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) (2005), Situación de la mujer rural: Bolivia, FAO, Rome, www.fao.org/Regional/LAmerica/mujer/docs/BOLIVIA/indice.htm.
JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) (2006), Bolivia: Country Gender Profile, JICA, Tokyo, www.jica.go.jp/activities/issues/gender/pdf/e06bol.pdf.
UN (United Nations) (2004), World Fertility Report 2003, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, New York, NY.
UNDP (United Nations Development Program) (2003), Gender Human Development Report in Bolivia, UNDP, http://idh.pnud.bo/webPortal/Portals/2/publicaciones/genero/Genero%20sinopsis%20ingles.pdf.
US Department of State (2007), Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Bolivia, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Washington, DC.
