Patzún, Guatemala, [May 7, 2024] - The Women’s Justice Initiative (WJI) is pleased to share that it has been selected to participate in the Campaign Promise to End Violence Against Women and Girls, funded by the global beauty company Avon. Over the next six months, WJI will expand the Adolescent Girls Program to San Juan Comalapa, a municipality of Chimaltenango in Guatemala.

Between April and December 2024, the Adolescent Girls Program will prevent childhood, early and forced marriages and unions (CEFMU) by providing rights education to adolescent girls and workshops for their parents and community leaders about the importance of delaying CEFMU. These trainings will transform community norms that treat violence against women as normal or acceptable, and will strengthen the resources available to adolescent girls living in rural areas with limited access to education, health, and legal services.

Thanks to Avon’s Promise to EVAWG Campaign, this program is expected to benefit nearly 1,000 individuals by bringing vital rights education and services directly to the rural communities of Comalapa. This is an exciting opportunity to help girls to delay marriage and motherhood, ensuring they are free to pursue their personal goals, prioritize their education, and recognize their own value and self-worth. In doing so, girls will become leaders and changemakers with the power to transform their communities into safer, more equitable spaces for future generations.

About Avon:

For 135 years, Avon has been doing beauty differently. Avon is a company that connects people, using the power of beauty to transform lives. Millions of independent sales representatives around the world sell Avon's iconic brands through their social networks, creating their own full- or part-time beauty businesses. Avon is an advocate for gender equality, and believes in listening to women's needs, speaking out on the issues that matter and creating positive change. Through the Avon Global Foundation, Avon has donated more than $1.1 billion, focusing on the fight against gender-based violence and early detection of breast cancer. Avon is part of the Natura & Co. group. For more information visit http://www.avoncentroamerica.com/camerica-home

About WJI:

The Women’s Justice Initiative (WJI) improves the lives of Guatemalan women and girls through education, access to legal services, and gender-based violence prevention. To learn more about WJI, visit www.womens-justice.org or email info@womens-justice.org.

Contact: 

Nora Worthington

noraworthington@womens-justice.org

(973)220-8383

www.womens-justice.org