Project profile — Women's Rights and Gender-Sensitive Justice in Guatemala

• Guatemala (100.00%)

• Legal and judicial development:
Legal and judicial development (15130) (15.00%)
Human rights (15160) (15.00%)
Ending violence against women and girls (15180) (70.00%)

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

The project contributes to reducing sexual and gender-based violence against women, especially Indigenous women in the Departments of Alta Verapaz, Sololá and Chimaltenango and strengthens the poorest and most vulnerable’s access to justice. Gender-based violence has reached epidemic levels in Guatemala as patterns of violence against women committed during the 36-year internal armed conflict have continued, are seen as normal and are often tolerated. A majority of the victims are Indigenous women and girls. Project activities include: (1) providing legal, psychological and social services; (2) building the capacity of justice system actors through training and litigation of sexual violence cases with national impact; and (3) raising public awareness on gender-based violence.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased participation of women, particularly Indigenous women, from the Departments of Alta Verapaz, Sololá and Chimaltenango in the exercise of their rights for a violence free life; (2) improved services to women victims of violence and sexual violence by targeted justice system actors; and (3) increased respect for women's human rights and integrity by men, local public institutions and civil society organizations.

Results achieved through March 2022 include: (1) 5,162 people who directly participated in 414 activities on sexual and gender-based violence; (2) supported partner organizations in carrying out communication campaigns. These campaigns informed more than 485,000 people; (3) supported 12 local social and women's organizations and four victim referral networks in the three departments and the capital; (4) provided psychosocial support services to 608 indigenous women and girls who are survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. In addition, 544 of them learned economic self-sufficiency; (5) facilitated increased knowledge of 548 indigenous women and girls regarding their rights and access to justice; (6) provided legal assistance services to 503 indigenous women and girls who are survivors of sexual and gender-based violence; (7) obtained two precedent-setting court convictions in cases of sexual violence against indigenous girls committed by teachers in the public education system The perpetrators were sentenced to 38 years and 27 years in prison respectively; (8) trained 267 people (221 of whom were women) to actively participate in the justice process. This include to learn the legal norms applicable to cases of gender-based violence, and to sensitize them to the barriers faced by indigenous women in accessing justice; and (9) engaged 1028 people, including 747 women, in advocacy and learning activities.

• Proactive disclosure