Women’s Justice Initiative (WJI) GUATEMALA

Many women, especially survivors of violence, do not have the freedom to leave their communities and even fewer can afford transportation to seek services in urban areas.

WJI recognizes that VAWG is one of the most oppressive forms of gender inequality. As long as women continue to experience violence with impunity, they will never achieve equal participation with men in social, economic, or political spheres.

WJI works to achieve gender equality and combat impunity by increasing access to justice for indigenous women in rural communities, especially survivors of violence. We see this as a key tool in helping women lead healthy, happy lives.

We work holistically to help women reconstruct their lives and move forward, including by providing psychological counseling and legal services both in cases of violence and to secure their economic rights.

We also provide rights education courses, mobile legal outreach in remote communities, and leadership training. We work with local leaders and stakeholders to change community norms around violence. WJI works to ensure that women for generations to come have the skills and resources necessary to exercise their rights.

95% of women who have participated in our programs believe that WJI has helped them prevent violence in their lives.

WJI is also proud of the work of our Community Advocates, women who ensure the sustainability of WJI’s work by becoming leaders, women’s rights educators, and mentors to their peers.

These advocates multiply WJI’s impact by promoting gender equality in their communities and by accompanying women seeking legal services through the process. Our work would not be possible without them.

No victory is too small for us to celebrate, because when a woman knows her rights and has the support to exercise them, her possibilities are endless.

From graduating from the Women’s Rights Education Program, to receiving retroactive child support, women participants and WJI are winning together.

We are especially proud when we hear from Community Advocates about how WJI has taught them to stand up for themselves and for other women in their communities.

Because of Advocates’ dedication to creating change where they live, we know our work will endure for generations after our programs end.

As one advocate told us, “I am a woman who is no longer afraid to confront the challenges in my life, in my family, and even in my community. I have discovered myself and know that I have value.”

When we think of the obstacles these women have already overcome and we imagine just how far they are going to go, we feel tremendous pride.

WJI has grown rapidly since 2011, though we are still only able to serve a fraction of the Kaqchikel-speaking population.

As WJI expands to reach additional communities, we know that continuing to strengthen our operational capacity is key for success.

Building our leadership, monitoring and evaluation, and development capacity will ensure the long-term success of our programs and enhance our impact.

This focus is also important as WJI continues to invest in local leadership, building on the existing skills and capacity of our staff members.

While these organizational costs are often difficult to cover through traditional funding sources, we know they are a key element of WJI’s long-term sustainability and effectiveness.