CNN reports on Guatemala’s legacy of violence against women and features the poignant stories of survivors and advocates and progress for the future.
The Council's program, "Abriendo Oportunidades," which provides the most vulnerable Guatemalan girls with skills and support to improve their lives, is highlighted as an important program in recognizing and helping to curb gender-based violence.
The taboo topic of gender-based violence is also being acknowledged and recognized in a popular program targeting one of Guatemala's most vulnerable groups, indigenous Mayan girls. In 2004, with help from the United Nations and other organizations, the Population Council launched a community-based club known as Abriendo Oportunidades, or "Opening Opportunities". The goal is to provide girls with a safe place to learn about their rights and reach their full potential.
Senior Program Coordinator Alejandra Colom says the issue of violence is discussed and girls are taught how to protect themselves. "They then share this information with their mothers and for the first time, they realize they are entitled to certain rights."
Colom adds that mothers then become invested in sending their daughters to the clubs and this keeps them more visible and less prone to violence.
Read more at:
And learn more about Abriendo Oportunidades here: