2023 Annual Report
A Just Future for Women
Investing in WJI’s Legacy
Our Mission and Vision
The Women’s Justice Initiative (WJI) improves the lives of indigenous Guatemalan women and girls through education, access to legal services, and gender-based violence prevention.
WJI envisions a world in which women and girls are active leaders in their communities, have access to legal services, know their rights, and can live free from violence.
Letter from Our Leadership
Kate Flatley
Executive Director
Clara Ferraro
Board President
A Just Future for Women: Year One of WJI’s Strategic Plan for Growth
Dear friends,
As we reflect on the past year, we are so proud of and grateful for the incredible strides we have made together at WJI. 2023 was a year of tremendous success. More than 8,200 women and girls participated in our programs, we benefited more than ## people directly, expanded our programming to ten new communities, and continued sharing our legal-empowerment methodology with partner organizations in three countries.
While we are thrilled by the accomplishments of our team, we recognize there is still work to be done and our commitment to creating a world where every woman and girl can live free from violence is as urgent as ever. In 2023, we took a significant step toward this vision by embarking/initiating on an ambitious strategic plan. A Just Future for Women, Investing in WJI’s Legacy is a bold plan that envisions us tripling our impact to reach 500,000 individuals by 2027. We have identified three strategies that are fundamental to achieving our goals:
Replicate: Double our coverage in the region through evidence-based programming that combines rights education with mobile service delivery.
Scale: Multiply our impact by adapting and sharing our proven legal empowerment methodology, with community-based organizations across Central America.
Sustain: Ensure WJI’s legacy by investing in our organizational capacity and expert team.
WJI is building a just future by investing in the transformative potential of women and girls, empowering them to become leaders and changemakers in their communities. and it could not be possible without your support. Our success would not be possible without the support of our incredible partners. Thank you for believing in our mission to create a brighter, safer, more equitable future for generations to come.
Sincerely and with gratitude,
Clara and Kate
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Gender-Based Violence: A Global Challenge with Local Solutions
Violence against women and girls is the most pervasive human rights violation worldwide, affecting not only women and girls, but their families and communities.
Despite decades of commitments to address violence against women and girls in the region,Central America continues to face some of the highest rates of GBV in the world.
Where We Work
WJI implements programming in 85 communities in the Maya Kaqchikel region of Guatemala, and shares its methodology with partner organizations in three countries.
WJI Program Participants
What We Do
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WJI envisions a world in which women and girls are active leaders in their communities, have access to legal services, know their rights, and can live free from violence. To achieve this goal, WJI employs a comprehensive approach that is driven by community-based solutions and offered in the local language.
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WJI provides free legal support in cases related to violence against women and girls and economic rights, and works with government entities and community actors to strengthen institutional responses to survivors of violence.
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The Women’s Rights Education Program, a legal literacy and empowerment course, teaches women about their rights and helps them to build the necessary skills to exercise and protect those rights.
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To sustain our impact, WJI trains local women to become Community Advocates, or rights educators and mentors in their communities.
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Advocates lead the Adolescent Girls Program which improves girls’ knowledge of their rights and helps them to delay marriage.
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Emerging Leaders in the Field!
In 2023 WJI’s talented team was invited to attend conferences, participate on panels, and share their unique expertise all over the world.
2022 Impact Statistics
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women, men, and girls benefitted from WJI’s programs.
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adolescent girls and their mothers gained knowledge and skills to prevent child marriage and gender-based violence.
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women graduated from WJI's Women’s Rights Education Program.
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women received free legal services from WJI.
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women completed their two-year training to become Community Advocates.
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police officers, service providers, and local leaders were trained in adequate responses to violence.
Scale
WJI has emerged as a leader in GBV prevention and response in the Maya Kaqchikel region of Guatemala. Our programmatic team, which consists entirely of Maya Kaqchikel women, possess a profound understanding of the local cultural context and have a proximity to the lived experiences of the women and girls we serve that is fundamental to our success. As WJI looks to scale our impact, we recognize that to do so sustainably across diverse contexts, we need to share our proven methodology with local leaders, strengthening their capacity to effectively address violence against women and girls.
According to data from the Human Rights Watch, Honduras has the second-highest rate of femicide in Latin America (UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean); and 60 percent of perpetrators were domestic partners (National Autonomous University of Honduras’ Violence Observatory).
Scale
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, Meidy’s passion. Meidy is also passionate about bringing change to her community. From an early age Meidy has actively participated in community-based initiatives that seek to create innovative and equitable opportunities to empower young women, including the Network of Women Chocolatiers and Caco-tiers of Honduras (REDMUCH)*.
*Red de Mujeres Chocolateras y Cacaoteras de Honduras
Scale
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.
Scale
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.
Scale
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.
Scaling across diverse contexts
WJI is scaling our impact. To do so sustainably across Central America’s diverse contexts, we are sharing our proven methodology with local leaders who possess a profound understanding of the needs of their communities.
According to data from the Human Rights Watch, Honduras has the second-highest rate of femicide in Latin America (UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean); and 60 percent of perpetrators were domestic partners (National Autonomous University of Honduras’ Violence Observatory).
Scaling across diverse contexts
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.
Scaling across diverse contexts
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.
Scaling across diverse contexts
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.
Scaling across diverse contexts
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.
As Women, We Matter: Fostering Leadership
Bety Oxi García:
Community Mayor
Maya women continue to be excluded from political participation in Guatemala; 20% of the recently elected Congress is composed of women, of which only one is an indigenous woman. WJI builds women’s leadership skills, confidence, and knowledge of their rights, so that more women can participate in local decision-making, begin to shift social norms, and transform their communities.
As Women, We Matter: Fostering Leadership
Every year, rural Guatemalans elect a mayor to oversee and represent their communities. Bety Oxi’s husband was elected to the position but left the country shortly after and named Bety to serve in his place. Bety, a Maya Kaqchikel woman and a graduate from WJI’s Women’s Rights Education Program, became the first woman from her community to hold the position.
As Women, We Matter: Fostering Leadership
As the only woman among eleven elected officials, Bety’s success in the role illustrates what women can accomplish when they feel empowered to participate in leadership roles. Bety says that recognizing her self-worth is one of the greatest lessons learned from WJI’s workshops, “as women, we matter.” She notes that before participating in WJI’s programs, she believed she had no value.
As Women, We Matter: Fostering Leadership
Machista and patriarchal attitudes are prevalent in rural Guatemala and for Bety, occupying a public position has been a challenge. She has faced criticism that targets not just her abilities as a leader, but the simple fact that she is a woman. She says that if she had not received training from WJI, she would have never been brave enough to serve in public office. A testament to her determination, Bety has built strong relationships with her male colleagues, who support and encourage her.
As Women, We Matter: Fostering Leadership
Bety is succeeding in a role traditionally reserved for men and she has done so with confidence and courage. She says she feels fortunate that women in her community now see her as a role model.
“Women look at me and think that they can do it too, they get excited and say that they think about running for public office.”
Cultivating Relationships, Strengthening Institutions
Interview with the District Attorney in San Juan Comalapa
WJI partners with government officials and service providers to strengthen referral pathways for survivors of violence and to improve resources for rural, indigenous women. In San Juan Comalapa, WJI has established a valuable relationship with the public prosecutor’s office. WJI sat down with the head of the office, District Attorney David Rosales López, who reflected on the importance of the services provided by WJI and the impact generated by building the capacity of local institutions.
Cultivating Relationships, Strengthening Institutions
WJI invests in relationships with local authorities and community leaders, which strengthens the coordination among entities and improves the municipalities holistic response to survivors of violence. District Attorney López views WJI as an indispensable resource for the municipality, stating “WJI is well known in rural communities…and is recognized for its work with government institutions and organizations in the municipal protection network… Community leaders refer women to WJI and women who don’t have economic resources know they can get free legal help.”
Cultivating Relationships, Strengthening Institutions
“WJI helps women who are trapped in cycles of violence, women who need personalized attention, and whose financial means limit their ability to hire an attorney,” explains López. When women seek assistance from government entities they face many challenges, including limited services, linguistic barriers, and bureaucratic processes. WJI’s presence means that these offices can now refer women to an organization where they receive support from women who speak their language and who can help them navigate a complicated judicial system. “It’s important for women to know that they are not alone.”
Cultivating Relationships, Strengthening Institutions
López believes patriarchal social norms are one of the biggest challenges to addressing violence against women and girls and acknowledges that the prosecutor’s office has a hard time raising awareness. “This society is machista, about 35% of the complaints we receive are related to gender-based violence. We do give talks about prevention, but it’s not prioritized.” López commends WJI’s focus on training municipal service providers and engaging men and community leaders, acknowledging that sensitivity training and education are key to preventing gender-based violence.
Cultivating Relationships, Strengthening Institutions
“WJI has had a positive impact on women and has been a great help to Comalapa,” not just ensuring that women can protect themselves, but by shifting broader attitudes that will lead to transformative change.
Our Impact to Date
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direct beneficiaries.
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indirect beneficiaries.
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community leaders, police, and government officials trained.
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legal cases related to economic rights or violence against women.
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women trained as leaders, mentors, and rights educators in their communities.
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graduates from the Women's Rights Education Program.
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graduates from the Adolescent Girls Program.
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parents and community leaders gained skills to prevent child marriage.
Financials
2022 Ending Net Assets: $0
Thank You
We are deeply grateful for the steadfast support of our partners, board members, and donors. Your investment and belief in our mission make our work possible. Thank you for helping us envision a brighter and safer world for women and girls.
Photographer Credits
Paola Almengor
Jonathan Coronado
Allie Jorde