Guatemala faces significant challenges in achieving gender equality and the Millennium Development Goals due to its history of armed conflict, unequal distribution of income and resources between indigenous and non-indigenous groups, and vulnerability to climate change impacts. Women in Guatemala experience systematic social, economic, political, and cultural exclusion and discrimination. While some progress has been made in increasing women's participation in government and reducing gaps in health and employment indicators, achieving the MDGs and gender equity requires addressing challenges such as the country's adverse economic conditions, strengthening policy implementation, and improving transparency and monitoring of development programs.

1. Gender Equality and Empowerment of
Women in the Context of
the Implementation of the Millennium
Development Goals
2010 High-level Segment
Economic and Social Council
New York, 28 June – 2 July
Annual Ministerial Review : Nacional Voluntary Presentation
GUATEMALA

2. Guatemala: an unequal and
diverse country
• Population: 14.4 million
o 51.2% women, 48.8% men
o 38.4% indigenous, 61.6% non-indigenous
• Post Conflict and Democracy:
o 36 years of armed conflict (1960-1996)
o 1985: First civilian government elected
o 1996: Signing of Peace Agreements
• Human Development Index: ranks 118 (0,689)
• Gini Coefficient for Income Distribution: 0.55
• One of the most vulnerable countries in terms of
Climate Change

3. Status of women in Guatemala
Situation of
systematical
disadvantages
for women
Social
Poverty
exclusion
Ethnic
Discrimination
Geographical
exclusion
Cultural
Economic
Political
Gender
relatioships
Exclusion
and
discrimination

4. Trends in selected indicators, Millennium
Goals Situation of Women 1990-2010

5. Source: National Epidemiology Center, Ministry of Health
Gender Gaps
Target 6A: Have halted by 2015 and
begun to reverse the spread of HIV / AIDS

6. Source: INE-ENCOVI, 2006
Gender Gaps
Target 1B: Achieve full and productive
employment and decent work for all,
including women and young people

7. Gender Gaps
Target 1B: Achieve full and productive
employment and decent work for all,
including women and young people

8. Intra-gender Gaps
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Source: National Epidemiology Center, Ministry of Health, 2008

9. Income / Population Ratio:
Employed persons between the ages of 15 and 65
by sex and ethnic identity
Source: ENCOVI, 2006

10. Sustained increase of women
meeting violent deaths
Harassment
Prolonged abuse
Psychological pressure
Physical and sexual
violence
Femicide
Social Indifference
Limited institutional
response capacity
Four decades of
internal armed conflict
A total of 4,602 cases of
women meeting violent
deaths are registered
between 2001 to 2009 Source: PNC, 2007.

11. Decision-Making
Participation in Local Government
2007 Elections: 6 of 333 mayoralties / municipal councils (1.8%)
235 representation in municipal corporations (5.84%)
Participation in Departmental Development Councils (CODEDE)
2009: 190 women / 861 men
53 indigenous women / 137 non indigenous women
Percentage of Women with a seat in Congress
1986: 7% 2008: 12% (19 non-indigenous, 4 indigenous)
Source: TSE, 2007, Segeplan, 2010

12. Beijing Declaration
(1995)
Peace Agreements
(1996)
National Women’s Forum
(1997)
Millennium Development
Goals (MDG)
(2000)
Social Development Law
(2001)
National Policy for the
Advancement and Integral
Development of
Guatemalan Women
(2001)
Institutional Framework
-Presidential Secretariat
for Women
MDG and Sectoral
Programmes linked with
gender policy and MDG.
50% of policies include guidelines
and actions to promote gender
and ethnic equality.
Advances for Women’s Equality

13. Links between the National Policy for the
Advancement and Integral Development of
Women and the MDG’s
Pillars of the National Policy for the Advancement and
Integral Development of Women
MDG
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Economic development X X
Natural resources X
Educational equity X X
Health equity X X X
Erradication of violence against women X X
Legal equity X
Racism and discrimination X
Cultural Development X X
Equity in employment X X X
Institutional mechanisms X X
Sociopolitical participation X
Cultural identity of Maya, Garífuna and Xinka women X X

14. Links between MDG reports and
policy making
COST – EFFECTIVE VARIABLES /MDG Report 2006 GOVERNMENTAL PROGRAMMES
Children with access to GROWTH MONITORING “Mi familia progresa” conditional
cash transfer
Nutrition and Food Security
Reproductive Health
Mothers with access to the BREASTFEEDING Programmes
Pregnant women with access to PRENATAL CARE
Mothers with access to POST-NATAL CARE
Households with well or tap (access to PUBLIC WATER
SUPPLY)
“Agua Fuente de Paz”
Water and Drainage for Human
Development
Households with LATRINE (access to wastepipe)
Access to HEALTH-CARE SERVICES, clinics, health-care
centers and hospitals
Reinstatement of free public services,
provision of ambulances, 24-hour care
Access to SCHOOLS Reinstatement of free public services,
loans, grants,
scholarships
Primary school students receiving ACADEMIC INCENTIVES
Parents’ educational level (+parental illiteracy-children’s
education)
Free of charge Literacy
Households with ELECTRICITY Electric Supply for Rural Areas

15. Lessons Learned
Alliances between women’s organizations and public institutions
Alliances between women and other marginalized groups.
State-initiated action benefiting women creates new opportunities for
participation.
Pemanent female representation in local governments and territories.

16. The pace of progress is extremely slow for Guatemala to achieve the MDG’s
and gender equity.
•The adverse economic climate
•Historical reluctance to increase the country’s tax rate.
More efficient and effective management of development on behalf of the
State
•Improve actions of public policies to achieve gender empowerment.
•To strengthen the planning system at both territorial and sectoral levels.
• To mainstream women’s rights into the public policy agenda, the legal and
institutional framework, the organizational culture and administrative practices.
Continuing the efforts of alignment, harmonization and appropriation in the
area of international cooperation.
Improving transparency, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
Challenges for the Country

17. Effects of Guatemala’s disaster
vulnerability on the achivement of MDG’s and gender equity

18. Secretariat for Planning and Programming
Republic of Guatemala
–Segeplan-
www.segeplan.gob.gt