Guaraní women strengthen their economic autonomy in Bolivia’s Chaco region

^{Jacinta Rivera, gender focal point for the 22 communities of the Kereimba Iyaambae Guaraní Indigenous Autonomous Government, strengthened her savings and financial management skills through a training programme supported by UN Women. Photo: UN Women/Teofila Guarachi.} 

Ipitacito del Monte is one of the communities that make up the Kereimba Iyaambae Guaraní Indigenous Autonomous Government (GAIKI), located in southeastern Bolivia, in the Chaco region. Droughts are frequent, and water is therefore supplied exclusively by tanker trucks. Water is used for human and animal consumption, as well as to irrigate crops. However, its quality is not always guaranteed. According to Jacinta, some children have become ill or developed skin allergies.

Jacinta explains that climate conditions directly affect her economic activities, as some seasons are favourable while others are not. In Kereimba Iyaambae, women play a central role in caring for their families and supporting their livelihoods. They raise animals, grow crops for both household consumption and sale, and produce handicrafts.

For several years, Jacinta has relied on bank loans to purchase farming tools, seeds and pest-control products. She emphasizes the importance of building relationships with financial institutions to establish trust.

According to Jacinta, the guidance provided by financial institutions, together with the knowledge she gained through her own experience, provided her first lessons in financial education. However, accessing credit remains more difficult for women. Many women do not earn a salary, unlike men in the community, who work as teachers or in other occupations that provide them with a stable income, making it easier for them to access financing. 

Over time, Jacinta learned how to manage her loans. She even says that she prefers to borrow larger amounts to avoid paying higher rates on smaller loans. Despite being very familiar with these processes, she still found it difficult to make it through each month with enough money. “I used to spend money without planning, but when I needed it, I no longer had it,” she says. This changed when she received an invitation to participate in a training programme. 

^{UN Women provides technical assistance to the State Autonomy Service to integrate a gender perspective into local public administration and legislative processes and promote women’s meaningful participation in five Indigenous autonomous governments in Bolivia. Jacinta Rivera with Gladys Pinto, a leader from the Kereimba Iyaambae Guaraní Indigenous Autonomous Government, and Bibiana Aído and Nidya Pesantez of UN Women. Photo: UN Women/Teofila Guarachi.} 

In October 2025, the State Autonomy Service (SEA), a decentralized Bolivian public institution that provides technical assistance for the implementation of the country’s autonomous governance system, contacted Jacinta in her capacity as gender focal point and invited her to participate in a financial education training programme. The activity received technical assistance from UN Women and was delivered by the German Sparkassenstiftung. Through a game-based methodology, Jacinta and 24 other women strengthened their financial knowledge and skills to better manage their resources, prioritize their needs and plan their savings, thereby promoting their own financial well-being and that of their communities. 

^{Financial education strengthened Jacinta’s economic autonomy and her participation in decision-making within her community. Photo: Courtesy of Jacinta Rivera.} 

“Before the training, I hoped to learn how to control my spending because sometimes I run out of money. Now I manage it better,” says Jacinta, who has already been able to better allocate her income and save money. She hopes the experience can be replicated with more women, including those living in the most remote communities.

For Jacinta, this process marked a turning point, strengthening her economic autonomy and her role in community decision-making. She believes that financial education can also help women reduce their economic dependence on their husbands and, in some cases, give them greater resources and options to leave situations of violence. She now even presents budget proposals to her community to promote more effective management of resources. 

About the project

In Bolivia, Indigenous Native Peasant Autonomies are recognized under the Political Constitution of the State as a form of territorial self-government, within the framework of Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination. In this context, UN Women provides technical assistance to the State Autonomy Service, helping to strengthen these levels of government by integrating a gender perspective into local public administration and legislative processes and promoting gender equality and women’s meaningful participation in five of the country’s eight Indigenous autonomous governments: Kereimba Iyaambae, Salinas, Uru Chipaya, Charagua Iyaambae and Huacaya.