Port of Call LAST UPDATE August 8, 2010
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July 5, 2010 Puerto Quetzal – Liberating the Women of Guatemala
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Peace Boat visited an ancient ruin near Tecpan which was once the capital of the indigenous Iximche kingdom. The site is still of significant spiritual importance for local Mayans.

The amount of abuse and violence directed at the women of Guatemala during the last few decades is immeasurable. The nation has barely emerged from a civil war in which rape was used by government-backed forces as a weapon against people living in rural and indigenous communities who were thought to be supporting rebel guerrillas. A peace deal was signed in 1996, but the legacy of the war means that women still face extreme levels of discrimination, especially in remote areas. Peace Boat learnt visited the non-profit group Asociacion Mujer Vamos Adelante (AMVA) to learn about about how women are trying to improve their living standards and fight for better rights in Guatemala.

At least 200,000 people, mainly Mayan, are estimated to have been killed during the 36-year conflict. A large proportion of those who died were men, meaning that women now make about 70 per cent of Guatemala's population. Despite this, females remain seriously underrepresented in the workforce and government. AMVA is working to create more balance in Guatemala by encouraging women to seek employment and campaign for equal rights.
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For many travelling with Peace Boat, this was the first opportunity for them to meet with indigenous people of Latin America. The two groups interacted with each other through speeches and other activities such as games.

Peace Boat travelled to Tecpan, a rural community near the centre of the country. The region was badly affected by Tropical Storm Agatha which tore through Guatemala on May 29. The storm is the wettest on record to have hit the nation, dumping heavy rain that caused landslides which damaged countless roads. AMVA representative, Miriam Calderon, said her association has been trying to help women gain financial independence by assisting them in growing fresh produce at their homes, such as beans. Agatha destroyed many of these small crops, but Ms Calderon believes that Guatemalan women have gained the fortitude to overcome this recent hardship after enduring so many years of war. "It is difficult for us, but this is also an opportunity to recover and develop even better systems to help women tackle their problems," Ms Calderon said.

AMVA mainly works with women in rural areas to carry out a range of training programmes which equip women with skills that assist with their integration into mainstream society. The association was founded 14 years ago with the aim of helping more rural and indigenous women to be independent and to play a stronger role in their communities. The aim of AMVA is not just to fight for women's rights, but to create equality among men and women.
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The lives of scores of children will improve if women gain access to greater rights in Guatemala. These Mayan children are dressed in their costumes which they wore for a traditional dance.

At Tecpan Peace Boat participants were greeted by many AMVA members, the majority of whom were Mayan women. "The fabric of Guatemalan society was torn apart by the recent conflict and we are trying to fix that," said community leader Angelina Sacbaja. As a senior AMVA representative, Ms Sacbaja works to promote women's education and sisterhood throughout Tecpan. "For a long time, the rights of women have been violated and this must be stopped." AMVA has had some pivotal victories which have helped to improve the lives of women. Its campaigns have led to a revision of workplace laws. The reforms include allowing women to wear indigenous dress at work and forcing employers to provide medical care for all female employees.

A cultural exchange was held between the Tecpan community and Peace Boat participants. Children performed a ceremonial dance which represented the harvesting of corn, a key staple of the Mayan diet. Afterwards, participants were able to speak to the Mayans and learn about their lifestyles. Peace Boat also delivered aid goods which had been donated by hundreds of people travelling on the 69th Voyage. These supplies are part of a relief effort for those affected by Tropical Storm Agatha.
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Estella Sancir has learnt many household skills from her mother, Maria. The pair made a typical Guatemalan breakfast of beans, bananas and tortillas.

Peace Boat participants were divided into small groups and paired up with a host family for the night. Staying at the homes of these women was a unique opportunity to gain an understanding of what life is like for those in remote parts of Guatemala. Many of these people live under or are very close to the poverty line. Most of their homes have dirt floors and lack running water. The scant resources available to Mayan women living in Tecpan means that they are highly vulnerable to discrimination and isolation through abuse or violence.

One group stayed with a family of three generations of women living a short distance outside of the town. There were five children, including two teenage girls who go to school once a week and whose father is working in the United States to support them. The house was packed full of extended family members eager to speak to Peace Boat participants. These women were extremely self-sufficient and the only man who joined was the grandfather of the teenage girls who was too old to be employed.
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A group of women gave a demonstration of how they campaign for more political representation. AMVA's goal is to have at least one female candidate for every main party throughout the nation by 2012.
In the morning the group travelled to the nearby community of Santa Apolonia. Here Peace Boat participants learnt about how women have been campaigning to gain more political representation throughout all levels of government. Women from Tecpan and Santa Apolonia performed a small play where they demonstrated some of the techniques that they use to persuade men that women should be included in political parties to create balance and attract female voters. But this quest is not an easy one, and some of the women from AMVA have been threatened with violence because of their efforts.

AMVA representatives said that the sad reality for many women in Guatemala is that they live under the constant threat of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Girls are taken out of school by their parents to become housemaids or babysitters, meaning that a large number do not have access to the same level of education as men. But despite these challenges, the women said that their children are fortunate to have been born outside of war. Many have brighter prospects and more opportunities to shape their futures than their mothers did.