Proactive Women

Guatemalan indigenous women, especially those living in rural areas, are at a disadvantage compared to non-indigenous men or women. They are less likely to have an education, they have minimal employment opportunities, generally they have little impact on their families and communities, and often they have husbands who are absent from their families.

The “Proactive Women” project focuses on empowering indigenous women in rural areas of Santiago Atitlán, who struggle with many of these disadvantages. It focuses on providing women with stable sources of income and also encouraging them to have a greater impact on their social, familial, political, religious, and natural environments.

The project consists of two parts: The first involves educating women on topics relevant to themselves and their families, all to promote women’s participation in society. This is done through training and workshops on topics such as health and hygiene, finance, environmental education, household resource management, self-esteem, and leadership.

The second part consists of strengthening the women’s household economy through small shops or income-generating activities for women; for example, selling handicrafts, raising and selling chickens, and selling everyday goods. We support them in managing the small shops and advise each woman on how to improve her business. ANADESA provides them with seed capital and empowers them to undertake income-generating activities.

As with the other projects, home visits are also made to the women to monitor and evaluate the income-generating activities and to implement training in their homes.

We are always looking for support so we can continue improving the lives of our participants. If you would like to participate, please consider a donation. Thank you!