Gender inequality in Guatemala is an urgent issue. Guatemala is rated highest in Latin America on the United Nations Gender Inequality Index(1). This disparity is perpetuated by the poor state of women’s sexual and reproductive health and the high occurrence of economic dependence among Guatemalan women.
In the department of Sololá, where Pueblo a Pueblo is based, one out of four women age 15-49 have suffered physical, sexual, or emotional abuse at the hands of a partner—and one out of eight women in the same age group believe that some situations justify this type of violence(2). Many women in the region have few options when it comes to income-generating activities and professional skill-building opportunities, leaving them economically dependent on the men around them and less equipped to advocate for their own wants and needs.
Women of indigenous descent face additional barriers to health and economic security. Indigenous Guatemalans, despite making up only 40 percent of the national population, account for 54.7 percent of the country’s poor and 66.8 percent of its extreme poor(3).
Given these challenges, many indigenous Guatemalan women living in the Lake Atitlán region do not have access to the information and resources they need to advocate for their own health.
Pueblo a Pueblo’s prior approach to improving health among Guatemalan women was Family Planning Champions, a targeted educational initiative launched in 2013 to spread knowledge of contraception methods among women living in and around Santiago Atitlán. The project enjoyed a successful six years, but because local cultural norms prohibit sexual activity outside of marriage, our team has noted that a narrow curricular focus on family planning excludes many women from the conversation, especially young and unmarried women.
Enter Women’s Health Champions.
The foundation of this new project is a more inclusive, more comprehensive women’s health curriculum that more completely addresses sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), fundamentally important topics to the health and well-being of all women. Like its predecessor, Women’s Health Champions will rely on a network of peer health educators called “Champions”. Project staff will train these local leaders and support them as each Champion launches her own series of educational sessions to bring SRHR knowledge to members of her community.
Women’s Health Champions will also empower women with the economic resources they need to advocate for their health by equipping participants to pursue an additional source of income. Project staff will lead business training for program participants interested in earning income from the distribution of reusable cloth menstrual pads. This product will promote environmental stewardship and good menstrual hygiene in Champions’ communities.
This vital project is fully designed and ready for implementation—now Women’s Health Champions needs funding to get off the ground. Please consider supporting our Champions as they fight for the health of all women!
In the department of Sololá, where Pueblo a Pueblo is based, one out of four women age 15-49 have suffered physical, sexual, or emotional abuse at the hands of a partner—and one out of eight women in the same age group believe that some situations justify this type of violence(2). Many women in the region have few options when it comes to income-generating activities and professional skill-building opportunities, leaving them economically dependent on the men around them and less equipped to advocate for their own wants and needs.
Women of indigenous descent face additional barriers to health and economic security. Indigenous Guatemalans, despite making up only 40 percent of the national population, account for 54.7 percent of the country’s poor and 66.8 percent of its extreme poor(3).
Given these challenges, many indigenous Guatemalan women living in the Lake Atitlán region do not have access to the information and resources they need to advocate for their own health.
Pueblo a Pueblo’s prior approach to improving health among Guatemalan women was Family Planning Champions, a targeted educational initiative launched in 2013 to spread knowledge of contraception methods among women living in and around Santiago Atitlán. The project enjoyed a successful six years, but because local cultural norms prohibit sexual activity outside of marriage, our team has noted that a narrow curricular focus on family planning excludes many women from the conversation, especially young and unmarried women.
Enter Women’s Health Champions.
The foundation of this new project is a more inclusive, more comprehensive women’s health curriculum that more completely addresses sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), fundamentally important topics to the health and well-being of all women. Like its predecessor, Women’s Health Champions will rely on a network of peer health educators called “Champions”. Project staff will train these local leaders and support them as each Champion launches her own series of educational sessions to bring SRHR knowledge to members of her community.
Women’s Health Champions will also empower women with the economic resources they need to advocate for their health by equipping participants to pursue an additional source of income. Project staff will lead business training for program participants interested in earning income from the distribution of reusable cloth menstrual pads. This product will promote environmental stewardship and good menstrual hygiene in Champions’ communities.
This vital project is fully designed and ready for implementation—now Women’s Health Champions needs funding to get off the ground. Please consider supporting our Champions as they fight for the health of all women!
1 “United Nations Human Development Report 2016,” http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2016_human_development_report.pdf
2 Observatorio de Salud Reproductivo (OSAR), http://osarguatemala.org/
3 National Statistics Institute (INE), “Profile: Republic of Guatemala,” 2014,
https://www.ine.gob.gt/sistema/uploads/2014/02/26/L5pNHMXzxy5FFWmk9NHCrK9x7E5Qqvvy.pdf
1 “United Nations Human Development Report 2016,” http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2016_human_development_report.pdf
2 Observatorio de Salud Reproductivo (OSAR), http://osarguatemala.org/
3 National Statistics Institute (INE), “Profile: Republic of Guatemala,” 2014,
https://www.ine.gob.gt/sistema/uploads/2014/02/26/L5pNHMXzxy5FFWmk9NHCrK9x7E5Qqvvy.pdf