Women and Development Program

Coordinator: Verónica González. Psycologist. CUNOC University, Guatemala.

What is the Women and Development Program?

It supports the groups of women of the associations or AMB's. Our purpose is to strenghten their participation in the community development process. We value the role women play in development.

We started in March 1997 in an attempt to attend the needs and demands of women. Today we group approximately 450 women through 50 groups.

Our Vision: Women who increase their knowledge, skills and abilities which can be applied in the production and commercialization of their products and services. The economic benefits will improve the grassroots participation.

Our Mission: To support organized groups of women for their social, economic and political strenghtening. To improve their personal, familiar and community development, we provide them with specific training, productive and service projects with the support of international and national cooperation agencies.

Projects: The projects of service we are currently working on are the corn processor, community stores and sinks. Some of the production projects are: the growth of vegetables and potatoes; processing of coffee, Rosa de Jamaica and peanuts; canned fruits; raise of pigs and chickens, sheeps and cows.

Furthermore, we give them technical assistance to the small women farmers and small businesses in the following topics:

Local power
organization
women and development from a gender perspective
educational tours
community diagnosis
small business basic administration
Peace agreements analysis
Cattle raising and communal farms
Management and maintenance of nixtamal processors
National Meeting of Associated Women

Results Obtained by the Program W & D

A larger number of organized women and leaders involved in Board of Directors

A larger number of women managing productive and service projects

90% of AMB's has a coordinator promoting the participation of women

The participation of women is more accepted and supported by a larger number of men who are aware of the importance of the role of women in the society

Difficulties Encountered

Women do not own the land, they have to rent it

Lost of crops of excessive rain or for droughts

The credits granted to the groups are not enough for the large demand

Women do not have guarantees

There is no market for their products

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