by Liliana Huaraca, Communications Coordinator, Save the Children Peru.

Jhamshary makes a difference

Jhamshary is a teenager who has been part of the organization "I Also Have Something to Say" since she was 13 years old. Today she is 16 years old and together with her colleagues, she fights against sexual violence and encourages the participation from children and adolescents to join them.

Although she grew up in a male chauvinist environment, today she has very different thoughts and behaviors to the ones she had once known. Thanks to the workshops held by Save the Children and Paz y Esperanza, she feels empowered to fight for the rights of all children and adolescents of Huánuco in Peru.

My family was structurally male chauvinist. After the workshops, I transmitted what I was learning to them. First they told me 'you are crazy, what are you talking about?!', and now they support me to continue working with the organisation"'

In September, Jhamshary led with other teenagers in the Electoral Debate with candidates of the Regional Government of Huánuco. It was the first time she engaged with political leaders at a big event, and although she felt nervous at first, she managed to overcome the pressure of the moment and ask the potential leaders about their commitments to children and teenagers. After the activity, Jhamshary looked tired, but she was also very happy with their replies.

"In my head I was thinking that candidates had to understand that we are citizens - that we have a voice and we have rights."

Save the Children in Peru and its partner - Paz y Esperanza, have worked hard in recent years to empower children and teenagers in understanding their rights and their capacity to prevent of sexual violence. It's for this reason, that a group of children who led the theme in the region were consolidated by the political leaders- one of which was Jhamshary.

"Through the workshops I understood a different perspective that I had never seen before. Before, just because I was a female I used to be on silenced, even when I knew something was not right for me".

Jhamshary has received training and support to travel to Lima and Panama and speak about her experiences in the prevention of sexual violence. This has allowed her to look at her life and surroundings in a new way. It also created changes within herself and allowed her to create change within her family, friends, as well as leaders and public officials. Today she feels stronger and more secure than ever in her journey to fight for her rights.

"Once a male classmate told me 'this girl sent me her pack '(photos of naked girls) and he wanted to put it on the internet. So I told him ‘Do you know it’s a crime?”

Jhamshary is a teenager who has learned and developed herself with her involvement with the organisation “I Also Have Something to Say”. Save the Children in Peru and Paz y Esperanza have also worked to strengthen it and our success was evident from Jhamshary comments on how she was inspired by her colleague Zila Vera (18) ever since joining the organization. The children of “I also have something to say” also support and motivate each other and it is clear that is what gives them the security and confidence to continue moving forward in their campaigning.

"I feel happiness when I see that there is a change and I am a part of that change. Sometimes I feel some discomfort for people who do not know what we do and try to minimise our efforts”

 About the intervention:

The intervention initiative by Save the Children in Peru and its partner Paz y Esperanza, seeks to contribute to the eliminating sexual violence against children and adolescents in Huánuco, Peru. We aim to do so by working to improve the prevention and protection techniques for children in 7 districts of the region. Specialisation programs have also been developed for justice operators, the protection of service operators, womens’ organizations and organizations for children. These have generated high impact in the prevention of sexual violence against children in the region and is a great milestone for Peru. We now aim to benefit 50,700 girls and 51,900 boys between 5 and 18 years of age from serval districts in dire need of interventions.