Portrait Story : Close to one quarter of the Guatemalan population are indigenous women, victims of gender, racial, and socioeconomic discrimination. Woman and indigenous, are the factors for discrimination in Guatemala. Indigenous women are the most affected by societal rejection and racial discrimination.
The Guatemalan indigenous women nearly have all common stories. Many began working in tortilla shops at the age of 10 years old, they didn’t go to school due to social stigma or because they got pregnant very young. Others were rejected in job interviews because of their gender or simply were abused.
The typical costume, symbol of Mayans, and the illiteracy are the two great factors that make these women in victims of racism and marginalization. The language barrier and the lack of access to equal justice make them vulnerable to social exclusion. Also, the schooling rates of Guatemalan indigenous women are significantly low. It’s a fact that the majority of Guatemalan indigenous women have been victims of some type of discrimination. Regardless of the difficulties and the struggle, these women feel proud to be indigenous and women.