Project profile — Camino Verde: Economic Empowerment of Indigenous Women and Youth in Alta Verapaz

• Guatemala (100.00%)

• Human rights:
Human rights (15160) (5.00%)
Women's rights organisations and movements, and government institutions (15170) (15.00%)
Ending violence against women and girls (15180) (10.00%)
• Industry: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) development (32130) (45.00%)
• Environmental policy and administrative management:
Environmental policy and administrative management (41010) (13.00%)
Environmental education/training (41081) (12.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (principal objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Trade development (significant objective)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (significant objective)
• Climate Change Adaptation (significant objective)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• Indigenous Issues (significant objective)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

The project aims to increase the economic empowerment of Indigenous women and youth in Alta Verapaz in Guatemala by strengthening business practices of small-scale enterprises led by Indigenous women and youth, and by developing an enabling environment for those enterprises to grow and prosper. The project contributes to increasing the entrepreneurship skills of Indigenous women and youth’s, as well as their access to resources and to markets. It works to increase the social, economic and political engagement of key stakeholders on issues regarding their rights, leadership, economic empowerment, social justice, and the prevention of gender-based violence. Project activities include: (1) training on business and financial administration, environmentally and climate-resilient production practices, and social responsibility; (2) providing technological innovation packages; (3) delivering awareness-raising sessions to market actors and service providers on gender-sensitive services; (4) developing advocacy plans with women’s rights organizations to influence public policies and programs; and (5) delivering awareness-raising campaigns and workshops to key community and economic stakeholders, and local authorities to improve policies and programs in support of Indigenous women and youth’s economic empowerment, rights, and environmental sustainability.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) strengthened innovative, clean and sustainable business practices in small-scale enterprises, especially those headed by women and youth, from Indigenous communities in particular; and (2) increased engagement by women’s rights organizations, community leaders and members, and governments in promoting Indigenous women and youth leadership of innovative, clean and sustainable small-scale enterprises.

Results achieved as of March 2022 include: (1) trained 16,787 participants (10,912 women) on small business skills, climate and resilient agriculture, women's economic empowerment and indigenous land rights; (2) identified 36 indigenous women's groups to implement and strengthen their small businesses. These women applied innovative, clean and sustainable business practices; and (3) Sensitized and trained 496 local authorities and economic actors (296 women and 200 men). The training focused on equitable economic and productive development, natural resources, land and houses, eradication of violence against women, and racism and discrimination against women.

• Proactive disclosure