Rosmery Ramírez: How a gender-based violence survivor gained access to justice and now supports other women in Bolivia

^{Rosmery Ramírez, Deputy Mayor and Community Advocate for the municipality of San Benito, Cochabamba, provides support to users of essential services for victims of violence at the guidance center set up at SLIM. Photo: Guimer Delgadillo Rivera.} 

For years, Rosmery thought that what she experienced at home was normal. There was no physical abuse, which led her to believe that there was no violence. Today, she knows that there was economic and psychological violence.  

Before holding public office, she devoted herself entirely to her family. Her husband managed the money and decided how it was spent. When Rosmery talked about working, the answer was always the same: no one would hire her; her place was at home. Over time, those words weakened her confidence, and her voice faded.  

The insults came later, sometimes with alcohol involved, sometimes not. Rosmery remained silent, especially for her children. She did not want them to grow up amid arguments. She also had no support networks. She lived far from her family, and the violence she was experiencing was invisible to the community.

The breaking point came when his control became suffocating: constant phone calls, jealousy, reproaches. That day, she said enough was enough and sought psychological help. For the first time, she was able to put into words what she had been carrying for years. Talking was the first step. The second was to join the community promoters’ group in the municipality of San Benito, in the Cochabamba department. During the training sessions, she learned to identify the types of violence that she had normalized over the years. She understood that it was not her fault and that she had rights.  

Naming the violence allowed her to do something else: recognize that she was living in a violent situation, demand respect, and seek guidance. With this new understanding, she confronted her husband. It was not easy; there was resistance and a learned sense of machismo. They both sought help. Today, the relationship is different, and Rosmery no longer feels invalidated within her home; a behavior change is evident. Her partner accompanies her in her community-promotion activities and, from that position, has begun to question the mandates with which he was raised. Her process shows that change is possible when harm is recognized and responsibility is assumed.

At 33, Rosmery is the deputy mayor of the San Lorenzo district in the municipality of San Benito. But she is also a community advocate and runs one of 57 violence prevention counseling centers established as part of the UN Women project “Building Fairer Municipalities,” funded by the European Union and benefiting 94 municipal governments in Bolivia.  

In this space, Rosmery accompanies women who experience violence and often do not know where to start. She listens to them, provides them with information about their rights, and guides them in activating channels of care and access to justice, because reporting is not always the first step; sometimes the first thing is to understand that what they are experiencing is not normal and that they are not alone.

Rosmery knows that many women do not seek justice because of fear, economic dependence, misinformation, or lack of confidence in the protection system. That is why she insists that community support is key. Timely guidance can make the difference between remaining silent and initiating a protection process.  

Her testimony reflects that access to justice does not begin solely in a courtroom; it begins when a woman dares to speak up, loses her fear, and finds another woman willing to listen and accompany her.  

Rosmery does not describe herself as a particularly strong woman. In her own words, she defines herself as a woman in progress. A woman who broke her silence and now supports others so that they, too, can exercise their right to live free from violence.