ASOGEN GUATEMALA

Women and girls are also the most affected by sexual violence that interrupts their life plan. Guatemala is one of the 6 countries considered the most dangerous in the world for women to live. With little development index for them, it is the second country with the highest gender inequality in Latin America. It is also the second country with the least human development in Latin America.

Girls are those who continue without going to school compared to boys. Of the 100% of cases of sexual violence attended by ASOGEN, 85% to 90% belong to underage girls-adolescents. Of these, 100% have indicated that they do not want to be mothers.

From only January to October 2018, 1,900 pregnancies occurred in girls aged 10 to 14 years; of these cases, 100% are sexual crimes, 70% of sexual violence against girls comes from a close relative, and of these, 30% is the father of the sexual offender.

In Guatemala access to justice is also very precarious, it is more acute when it comes to victims of women, rural women, monolinguals and indigenous people. This is why ASOGEN tries to fight for women and over all girls have access to justice and comprehensive treatment. Many of these rural, monolingual and indigenous women are usually of limited resources and could not pay a lawyer to carry out the defense of the case–nor do they have the ability to pay a psychologist for emotional recovery, which is very important.

We are fighting inequality between men and women through processes of education, training and empowerment of women. We want to change the patriarchal cultural environment, teaching our children and the new generations equality and equity between genders. We also pursue a process of access to justice through strategic litigation and political advocacy for compliance with legislation in favor of the eradication of violence against women in Guatemala.

We were the driving organization of the specialized court against femicide in the department of Chimaltenango, as well as the organization that implemented the Comprehensive Support Center for women survivors of violence in Chimaltenango. We currently have a temporary shelter to protect the survivors of violence who are worried that their lives are at risk.

…where an adult man around 45 years old was drunk and trying to hug and kiss a girl of perhaps 10 years old. Everyone on the bus was uncomfortable, but nobody did anything.

Immediately, Danessa got on Whatsapp and called one of the ASOGEN lawyers (who also belonged to the National Civil Police) and told him what was happening. During the call, the Police managed to intercept the bus. The man turned out to be the biological father, but had kidnapped the girl. Thanks to that call and communication all the way, it was possible to save the girl and arrest the kidnapper. The girl was returned to her mother.

We lack resources to cover comprehensive care personnel and to cover legal, psychological and medical expenses.

Ideally, we would like to have a house of our own, where we can remain immovable. Women would always look for us in the same place and not have to move from one place to another. Because we are moving, we lose contact with some of them and it takes them a long time to meet again.

Our dream is to have our own house for ASOGEN, this would guarantee prompt and fulfilled access to justice for women, and it would facilitate many processes, including legal ones.