2023 Annual Report

When REDMUCH and WJI launched a call for leaders from community-based organizations and businesses to receive training on GBV, Meidy did not hesitate, she eagerly answered the call. Meidy actively participated in the three day-long intensive capacity building workshops and worked with WJI staff to adapt and replicate our legal empowerment methodology to best fit the needs of the women she works with. Through this collaboration Meidy and her team learned about their rights and how to exercise those rights, including what resources are accessible to them.

This leadership experience led Meidy to participate in new opportunities. She now works as a mentor for other young cacao producers and serves on the governing boards of both Chocomer and REDMUCH. Meidy enthusiastically promotes GBV prevention and response education, empowering young women to break cycles of violence. Meidy is a powerful example to the women and girls of Atlántida, participating in public spaces to change the local social norms and attitudes that deem violence against women and girls as acceptable.

Meidy represents a new generation with a transformative vision. Meidy has become an agent of change in her community, creating a more just society, bridging the gaps of gender inequality, and creating greater opportunities for women to participate in leadership spaces and live free from violence.

Meidy Posas is a 29-year old cocoa producer from Atlántida, Honduras. She is a young entrepreneur who, together with other women, formed Chocomer, a small woman-owned business dedicated to cocoa processing. From an early age Meidy has actively participated in community-driven initiatives that seek to create innovative and equitable opportunities to empower young women.

When WJI and its local partner organization launched a call for leaders from community-based organizations and businesses to receive training on GBV, Meidy eagerly answered the call. Meidy actively participated in the three-day intensive capacity building workshop and worked with WJI staff to adapt and replicate our legal empowerment methodology to best fit the needs of local women. Through this collaboration Meidy and her team learned about their rights and how to support other women and girls in their communities.

This leadership experience led Meidy to new opportunities. She now works as a mentor for other young cocoa producers, serves on the governing boards of two organizations, and enthusiastically promotes GBV prevention throughout her community. Meidy has become an agent of change and represents a new generation with a transformative vision to bridge the gaps of gender inequality. She is creating a more just society by actively participating in public spaces and shifting local social norms and attitudes that deem violence against women and girls as acceptable. She is a powerful example to other young women and girls, who together will break generational cycles of violence.

By investing in young leaders like Meidy, WJI is creating sustainable change at the individual and community level. GBV is a cross-cutting issue that impacts women’s security, economic stability, education and health, yet in many places across Central America there are few resources to address it locally. IDM is strengthening the capacity of local leaders and community-based organizations to better prevent and respond to GBV in their communities, because proximity to the cultural and social contexts has been critical to our success.

Lidia Ajbal joined WJI in 2019 as a program facilitator. Lidia is from Tecpan, a municipality where WJI implements programming. She quickly found great personal fulfillment in her role with WJI. She notes that what she was working to achieve in the field, empowering women and girls and shifting local social norms to respect and value women, could be mirrored in her own life.

“If we go to the communities and say that we can shift the social norms that treat violence against women as normal or acceptable, but then we don’t apply the same expectations and values within our own homes, there will be no change. We must apply these practices to our own lives, with our own loved ones.”

Lidia immediately demonstrated a deep commitment to her role and made fast connections with the women she worked alongside. Lidia recognized and appreciated her contribution to breaking barriers and being a catalyst for change in the lives of women and girls whose lived experiences were not so different from her own. Lidia excelled at her role early on and eagerly participated in the opportunities for professional development that were offered by WJI.

In 202_, Lidia was promoted to Program Coordinator. Realizing there was space to learn and grow, she immersed herself in a two-year intensive leadership course with other future leaders. She continues to accompany her teammates in the field and has become an invaluable asset to the strategic design and implementation of the Women’s Rights Education Program. Lidia’s leadership on the team is critical to ensuring that the needs and voices of program participants are reflected in our organizational goals and how we define success.

“WJI has been fundamental to my growth.  because iIt has offered given me these opportunities to strengthen my knowledge and skill sets. My position was never limited to where I began. I am constantly learning.”

Lidia started as a program facilitator and rose to a leadership position. Her journey exemplifies the type of internal growth that WJI strives to provide for all of its staff. Lidia is inspiring not only to her colleagues, but she is a powerful example for the women and girls in rural communities who may not have been encouraged to dream of life goals beyond marriage and children. She is an example of resounding success.

“I know the reality of the women, how they live and what the communities are like… There is a lot of work to be done in our fight to empower women. It is not easy. [But] If I can change my life, other women can do it too.”