International Development Grant
Support to Human Rights Defenders Protection Fund in Guatemala
Project Number: CA-3-P008630001
Status: Operational
Country/Region:
Regional Focus:
Maximum Contribution: $2,600,000.00
Start Date: March 16, 2021
End Date: December 31, 2025
Duration: 4.8 years
Project Description
This projects aims to support vulnerable human rights defenders in Guatemala. Special care is taken with women and Indigenous defenders to ensure their physical and psychological well-being. Project activities include: (1) providing training to increase their knowledge of risk and protection measures; (2) providing legal psychological physical and other services with differentiated approaches for women's human rights defenders; (3) creating communication materials to increase knowledge of the role and importance of women and other human rights defenders; and (4) supporting the creation or consolidation of protection mechanisms for human rights defenders.
Expected Results
The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved response and services to human rights defenders in vulnerable situations. This applies in particular to women and Indigenous peoples because of their work gender or ethnic origin; and (2) improved environment for the respect of the rights of human rights defenders. This includes the reduction of gender barriers and gender-based violence experienced by human rights defenders due to their work their gender or their Indigenous identity.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved as of March 2022 include: (1) provided legal and psychosocial services to 43 human rights defenders (20 women) and to members of their families and communities. Reached 117 people in total of which 72 were women; (2) provided collective psychosocial and health attention to 150 Indigenous community members; (3) recruited two law students including one Indigenous woman to complete legal internships with one of the project’s local partners; and (4) identified and documented one emblematic legal case.
Key Information
Executing Agency:
Avocats Sans Frontières Canada
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
NGM Americas
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Project-type interventions
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Department-Initiated