The training process developed inside the school, aims at providing women with legal knowledge related to their rights as subjects of the law, which includes elements from General Law, understanding of the State and the legal frame where women rights rule, in particular the Criminal Code, Criminal Process Code and laws related to the protection of their rights to life, physical, psychological, sexual and economical integrity, such as Law 230 ( Law for the Prevention and Punishment of domestic violence), Law 150 (Law of Sexual Crimes), Law of Alimony, Law of Citizen Participation and Municipal Law. We also educate on the building of the gender, the feminine identity, processes of emotional recovery and the facilitation of self help groups.

Once they have completed the training, the women get a certificate as “community Defendants” and the are identified in their communities where there usually isn’t any kind of women support, with the knowledge and the will to advise and accompany women to complain against domestic violence.

1. The identification of women leaders in each community who are already providing support to women who are victims of domestic violence, but who lack the legal knowledge to do a better job.
2. Within their communities, these women are regarded with respect since in their poorly educated communities; they are considered students with legal qualifications and knowledge. This new condition contributes to change in the collective imaginary the common perception of women as “house wives”, with no skills to play any other role in society.
3. and finally it important to note that between 85 % and 90% of the women who have completed the program, have continued with further studies, and have become legal facilitators and arbitrators in their communities. They have gained the recognition from the police and justice authorities to carry this work.

• Because of their public recognition, women sep the advise and support of the Community defendants.
• They are contacted through women’s groups that already exist within their communities.
• The Community Defendants identify women and children who are victims of violence within their communities and offer support.

The School and the work of the Defendants is periodically evaluated by the Coordination in the School along with the networks of women in the communities where the Project takes place.

The first one is with the Centre of Constitutional Rights, an NGO specializing in the study of legislation and that has developed the training methodology used at our school. With help of the CCR our facilitators do their work.

The second partnership is the one that we make with the local women communities, who provide the venues for the meetings and the follow up as well as the evaluation of the training process and the performance of the /community Defendants.

Although it isn’t one of the most strong, the partnership with the local governments, which provide financial resources, food or materials to foster the students participation in the rural communities.

The fourth partnership is with the public institutions in charge of administering justice, such as the National Police, the local Courts, the Attorney General, the Public Ministry to gain the recognition of the Community Defendants in their role of supporting victims from domestic violence.
Finally we have partnerships with other women organizations such as the Network of Women Against Violence and the Autonomous Women’s Movement in order to build a national proposal and advance our work.

But in the past two years our operations have become more stable, which contributes to the strenghtment of the Project and allows a better quantification on the benefits brought by the program.

Among the most relevant elements to evaluate the impact of the School, we find the following;

• A 100% increase in the number of women, teenagers and children who have complained before the justice authorities about domestic and sexual violence.
• Changes in the attitudes within the communities towards women participation in the public field. We have a conducted research that throws these results..
• An evolution in the women who went through the program as participants and members of other initiatives. For example more than 80% of the women who have graduated from the program have conducted further studies to become Justice Mediators.

In the second place to obtain academic recognition from a form an educational institution so the women can have a formally recognized certification.

Thirdly to extend the School to other municipalities and areas of the country.

The second obstacle is political since it is important to have the support of the local governments but they often tied their support to political favors and want to politically influence the women of our program.