Help Prevent Child Marriage in Rural Guatemala

WJI continues its work preventing gender-based violence through education and comprehensive legal services in Kaqchikel for rural Guatemalan women and girls. We are excited to link our 2021 Annual Report, which shows the advances we made in 2021, including our exciting expansion into two new municipalities and an ambitious step towards regional engagement through the USAID-funded Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative, where we provide rights education and leadership development workshops to women entrepreneurs in Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. In the past few months, WJI has also made significant progress to empower rural indigenous women through the Adolescent Girls Program and Women’s Rights Education Program.

A New Cohort of Adolescent Girls to Begin in October

Following a successful semester where 91 adolescent girls from the communities of Pamanzana, Panimacoc, and Xejaví graduated from the Adolescent Girls Program, WJI will soon enter two additional communities in Tecpán, Paxorotot and Chirijuyu. Girls and Adolescents, under the guidance of Community Advocates and WJI staff, will learn about their rights, decision-making skills, and how to delay marriage and unions until they are emotionally and financially ready. During this program, the young women develop life plans that help them identify their goals and achieve them. To our delight, WJI has also observed mutual reinforcement between the adult Women's Rights Education Program and the Adolescent Girls Program. Of the adolescent girl participants in Tecpán, Elvia Raquec, WJI’s Director of Programs, says, “it is incredible to see how prepared the girls in Tecpán are. Because their mothers completed the Women’s Rights Education Program between 2019-2021, many of the girls are enthusiastic to finally have the opportunity to participate in a WJI program themselves and are able to deepen the knowledge and skills they see their mothers demonstrate in the home.”

An August Filled with Graduation Celebrations

WJI’s Rights Education Program conducted 18 graduation ceremonies for women participants this past August in San Juan Comalapa, San José Poaquil, and San Martín Jilotepeque. In addition to the standard celebration through food and fellowship, WJI staff recognized the accomplishments of the Rights Education Program graduates and the Community Advocates who have played a tremendous role in facilitating workshops and bridging the divide between indigenous women in rural communities and legal services in Kaqchikel through legal accompaniment. In several communities, community leaders attended the graduation to show their support of WJI’s gender-based violence prevention work and the effort of local women to know and exercise their rights. Congratulations to the 382 graduates!

Links:

• WJI 2021 Annual Report