Es muy importante saber para comprender

Disculpe todo,

Posting again quite soon, I know...but at the moment I´m busy sitting at the computer doing research for another organization I started volunteering with and had to share some information on Guatemala with you.

First, the new orgnization I am helping is called TRAMA- It is a women´s weaving co-operative and we work with over 400 women in 17 different co-ops in the area surrounding the city of Xela. All of these communities are Indigenous villages of Guatemala. At the moment, I am researching info in order to search and apply for grants, but on a more exciting note: I am also painting a mural at the center today! I´m very excited about painting and using my artistic skills...it´s been far too long!
Anywho-At the center, the women offer weaving classes and also have a store to sell their goods, which are all absolutely amazing. If you have a free moment visit the website at:

http://www.tramatextiles.org/

You can also buy stuff online! Or contact me and I´ll ship anything out for you.

Back to the important stuff:
I am also busy trying to brainstorm fundraising ideas for the orgnization. I want to start up a weekly Trivia night at a local cafe, searching for a venue that will take us, in order to raise a little money on a regular basis and just get word out there on a more regular basis as well. Before starting to work at TRAMA I knew very little about the state of women´s rights in this country. From working at Nuevos and talking to my former teachers about Guatemalan life I was exposed to the statistcal numbers and the high rate of violence against women..one teacher informed me that 98% of women are estimated to be abused in some way: physical, mental, sexual, etc. Rarely these go reported because most of the time it´s by their own husbands. Here is some more detailed information I found today on the SIGI website: Social Institutions and Gender Index. Worth a read!

"The physical integrity of Guatemalan women is not sufficiently protected and violence against women is a serious issue. The incidence of rape, disappearances, torture and murder of women is high and continues to rise, and there is a culture of impunity in Guatemala regarding such crimes. Violence against women is prohibited by law, but is not punishable by a prison sentence. Domestic violence can lead to legal proceedings only if visible traces of the abuse remain on the victim for at least 10 days. Such violence is widespread and it seems to be difficult for women, especially indigenous women, to access the judicial system. There seems to be no social awareness in Guatemala about the gravity of violence against women.
Rapists are exempt from prosecution in Guatemala if they are married to their victim and the Penal Code lays down the criterion that women must be “honest” to be considered victims. It has been reported that the government plans to remove these clauses from the Penal Code, but no information is available to confirm this report. There is currently no legislation in place in Guatemala pertaining to sexual harassment."


Another interesting tidbit:

"The incidence of early marriage is quite high: a 2004 United Nations report estimated that 26 per cent of girls between 15 and 19 years of age were married, divorced or widowed."

Busy contemplating how lucky I am,
Vicki