Project
Strengthening Democratic Participation of Maya Communities in Rural Guatemala
- Guatemala
- June 2015
The project’s goal was to increase the recognition of traditional authorities and women of the Indigenous Communities of northern Alta Verapaz and their participation in decision-making processes and administration of justice. The grantee targeted groups who have historically lacked opportunity to participate in the decision-making at the local and national level, including leaders from the 33 indigenous communities officially recognized by the municipalities of Chisec and Raxruhá in northern Alta Verapaz, and the Maya women´s groups belonging to the Association of Organized Q´eqchi’ (AQT) in Chisec.
The overall objective of the project was to promote the recognition of indigenous groups. In practice, the project established conditions for inclusive urban and rural development council systems, encouraging indigenous peoples and women in particular, to voice their concerns and get involved in decision making processes. This approach filled a gap in the existing consultation mechanisms and conveyed the needs of communities to the authorities in charge of the design of local development projects.
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- Community activism
- Guatemala
- June 2015
The project prioritized activities dealing with cases of violence against women that had already occurred. While this made sense in terms of the justice system, it did not contribute to changing attitudes. In future projects it is recommended to prioritize prevention of violence, providing young men and women with a space for activities promoting gender equality.
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- Community activism
- Guatemala
- June 2015
The project could have provided more analysis about the causes of violence against women and its impact on the status of women in society. Such an analysis could have strengthened the effectiveness and impact of the projects’ interventions. Activities to train and raise awareness among adolescent males and men could have been implemented.
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- Community activism
- Guatemala
- June 2015
The majority of the project’s multidisciplinary expert team in Guatemala were local to Q´eqchi Maya. The integration of detailed local knowledge contributed to the project’s credibility and legitimacy in the eyes of beneficiaries and local counterparts.
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- Community activism
- Guatemala
- June 2015
Through the creation of a Community Broadcasters School, 28 young adults were trained, 22 of whom are still actively participating in broadcasting using the comprehensive guide produced by the project. The project expanded the transmission capacity and coverage of existing radio station Comunitaria Tzuultaq’a which in turn was able to reach a wider audience. The programme voiced community interests and gave a status of community spokespersons to the broadcasters trained.
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- Community activism
- Guatemala
- June 2015
Prior to the project, women’s representation in local governance was minimal with just one woman representative across all the 13 micro regions. There was also no possibility for women’s active participation. Forging partnerships in Guatemala with other organizations working on gender promotion resulted in Q’echi Maya women’s effective representation in both the urban and rural development councils. Following the project there are 13 women in 13 micro regions – one woman representative per micro region. They are invited council meetings and have the right to participate actively.