Strengthening the Rights of Indigenous and Other Discriminated Women in Guatemala

This initiative supports the enhancement of gender equality human rights programming within the Guatemala Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Women and girls are subject to some of the cruelest human rights violations and yet many organizations specialized in human rights promotion and protection are not prepared to deal with these gender-specific crimes. Project activities include: (1) supporting policy development for and direct accompaniment of women human rights defenders; (2) supporting victims of sexual and gender-based violence; (3) denouncing discrimination especially related to women's economic social and cultural rights; and (4) strengthening gender-sensitive justice systems through strategic litigation.

Results achieved as of March 2023 include the following: (1) 308 women including Indigenous midwives and Indigenous weavers and representatives were directly involved in 3 strategic litigation cases. These women included mothers and guardians of adolescent victims (deaths) and survivors of a fire in a state-run children’s home; (2) the National Movement of Mayan Indigenous Weavers presented Congress with a legislative proposal on collective intellectual property rights which was prepared by Indigenous women; (3) a social media campaign involving Guatemalan influencers to end violence against women reached over 14 000 followers and generated 740 interactions; (4) trained 475 people representing 6 public institutions including 378 women in international norms and standards relating to the fundamental rights of Indigenous women and women's rights in general; (5) assisted 40 non state entities including 169 women in supporting Indigenous women and other women victims of discrimination through the promotion and protection of their rights; and (6) assisted the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in strengthening its gender mainstreaming as evidenced by its participation in an internal gender accreditation program.