Help Prevent Child Marriage in Rural Guatemala

Democracy Prevails After Guatemala's Presidential Election

The electoral process that took place in 2023 has generated a profound impact on the context of WJI’s work in Guatemala. The free and democratic elections held in June and August 2023 were followed by controversy, as several government agencies attempted to invalidate the results. Guatemalans took to the streets in a national strike to affirm the will of the people first exercised at the polls, and to protest the actions of government agencies impeding the peaceful transition of power. They continue to demand the resignation of the Attorney General and other high-ranking public figures who have been leading efforts to undermine democracy. Due to the decentralized nature of WJI’s infrastructure, our work was not greatly affected by the national strikes. WJI ensured that there were local, accessible offices and staff in each municipality where programming is implemented, which allowed our offices to remain open and staffed, as most local travel in the project communities was unaffected. Despite the political unrest, Bernardo Arévalo successfully took office at the beginning of 2024.

WJI’s work to advance gender equality and increase access to justice for indigenous women and girls depends on a strong democratic foundation. Although the new administration faces many challenges ahead, we are optimistic that their commitment to fighting corruption and Guatemalans’ determination to defend democracy will result in a brighter, more just future for the country.

WJI’s Success in 2023

WJI continued to implement its programs in San Martín Jilotepeque and San José Poaquil, where we have encountered challenges, such as weak municipal networks and fear of reporting violence due to the long-term effects of Guatemala’s armed conflict (1960-1996). In response to these needs, we increased our engagement with municipal service providers and conducted monthly visits to communities by paralegals to build greater trust. This expansion, which had a great impact on expanding WJI’s coverage of the Kaqchikel region, was also a challenge in terms of organizational capacity and adaptation to new contexts.

The project has been hugely successful: we invested a lot of time and resources in the internal capacity of the team. We have been flexible and innovative to achieve complete programming in two different municipalities at the same time, strengthening the leadership of our program staff. Our team has adapted to the different cultural contexts of the two municipalities, where the culture of silence regarding VAWG exists in different forms but still must be addressed so that women begin to exercise their rights.

In August 2023, IDM began its work in two new municipalities, the North area of Tecpán and Santa Apolonia, applying the knowledge acquired in its previous expansions. We are starting programming in these municipalities this month! 

WJI’s Adolescent Girls Program Graduates Another 96 girls

During the second half of 2023, WJI conducted the Adolescent Girls Program in an additional three communities of Tecpán: Asunción Manzanales, Pueblo Viejo, and Xetonox. At the end of the program, 96 girls graduated with greater self-esteem, knowledge of their rights and how to exercise them, and the importance of delaying marriage and unions until they are older and fully equipped to handle the risks and responsibilities of adult relationships. During the past year, WJI has improved the methodology of the program to include more workshops related to sexual education and human expression, which garnered a highly positive response from mothers who participated in the focus groups we conducted in November. In total, 165 adolescent girls graduated in 2023, and WJI provided additional workshops to prevent child, early, and forced marriages and unions (CEFMU) to 190 mothers, fathers, and community leaders.