More focus has been placed on economic empowerment for women in Guatemala, particularly the women of Puente Viejo, a small village along the Polochic and Malazas rivers in the Polochic valley of Guatemala. These women have taken charge of their livelihoods and forged a path towards prosperity. Many women in Puente Viejo now stand shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts, emphasizing a profound shift within the community.

The Benefits of Economic Empowerment for Women in Guatemala

Investing in women within communities yields extreme benefits such as “higher productivity and faster economic growth, reduced poverty and provided returns for decades by reducing maternal and child mortality, and improving schooling and health care for children.” Gender equality is a consistent indicator of economic growth and development, according to the IMF. 

According to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in 2008, “When women have access to finances, credit, technologies, and markets, they are likely to expand their businesses and contribute effectively to sustained economic growth and development.” Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s statement proved true in Guatemala after a coordinated effort of investing in the women of Puente Viejo drastically increased living standards and overall well-being.

The Story of Success for the Women of Puente Viejo

The incredible women of Puente Viejo have worked in coordination with the U.N. Women, World Food Programme (WFP), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to increase economic self-reliance for rural women. Many women in Puente Viejo joined the program because they felt their household conditions needed improvement, they desired a shift in the gender norms in their community, and they hoped for financial independence and stability for themselves and their families. 

The Puente Viejo program started “with only 12 women farmers, providing them with seeds and fertilizers, as well as training on agricultural techniques.” Efforts of the program in Puente Viejo had a turbulent start due to disastrous flooding, which destroyed crops, and ultimately, the project had to switch gears, offering a more diversified skill set to the women of Puente Viejo. In 2017, the program began to focus on teaching women to make and market organic shampoo, using ingredients such as aloe, cacao, avocado and honey, all grown on their farms and personal gardens. The program taught the women to sell their products in local markets.

The Long-Term Effects of Investing in the Women of Puente Viejo

The homemade shampoo companies multiplied and established a success story for the development program and its participants. Through becoming business owners with the assistance of Programa de Desarrollo Rural para la Región Norte (PRODENORTE), the women of Puente Viejo have learned imperative financial skills, such as the ability to save and invest money. Through their financial success, the women of Puente Viejo have established a loan program to empower other community members financially. The loan program provided the daughter of a program member, Carlotta Sam Pac, with funding for her education. 

Despite frequent and devastating floods yearly, the community can remain stable and prosperous due to the resilience of the women of Puente Viejo. The program and the women involved have also established food security for the community. With consistent income, the community grows fresh food. Independence for the women of Puente Viejo has led to equal treatment of men and women within the community. Carlotta Sam Pac reported, “Our husbands now understand that we can also be managers of our own money…They know we are now aware of our economic rights and they do not mistreat us anymore.”

Lessons From the Joint Program 

Through the efforts of the joint program in Puente Viejo, the community has seen increased quality of life, increased overall savings and financial success and increased gender equality. The U.N. Women’s Economic Empowerment Coordinator in Guatemala reported that the program’s tremendous success is the empowerment the women involved have experienced and the unique connections local partners in Guatemala have created with U.N. agencies. With the inability to change the environment Puente Viejo experiences, including torrential rain and flooding, the program has prepared the community’s women for success regardless of external factors. 

– Marisa Kole
Photo: Flickr