“The change starts in us, so that what surrounds us changes”
Leadership
As teachers, ambassadors, innovators and cultural connectors, Multicolores’ artists have been playing a significant leadership role in the organization since it began. We celebrate their voices of resilience, courage and commitment. Women who are driving transformation and change in their own lives and those of their families and communities.
The Leadership Program seeks to address the under representation of women in the social, economic and political structures of Guatemala by strengthening leadership abilities in nine artists so that they can become agents of change in their rug-hooking groups, rural communities and beyond. The Program is innovative, encouraging personal development and self-expression through music lessons, drama and dance, English and Spanish classes. Additionally, individual counseling sessions help the artists overcome past traumas and build the self-awareness necessary for leadership. A motivational speaker series celebrates women whose positions of leadership challenge gender stereotypes in Guatemala.
Giving Back
Community Justice Guides
The leaders are being trained to become Community Justice Guides by Judge José Godoy Archila, a passionate advocate for community justice, gender equality and human rights. The leaders are now in a position to advise members of their community on how to act and where to access justice on issues related to the violation of human rights, discrimination and violence against women and neighborhood disputes.
Judge José mixes theory with practice, holding mock mediation clinics to help the leaders prepare for the resolution of conflicts within their groups and communities. Indigenous people’s rights, restorative and conciliatory practices and community leadership and management are part of the curriculum. Through this program the leaders are building active citizenry and a culture of accountability in their communities.
Community Action Plans
Multicolores’ leaders are offering bold solutions to existing problems within their communities through five Community Action Plans. The plans, each based on a community needs assessment, seek to improve local environments, enrich citizens’ lives, inspire new life choices and revitalize communities.
The Action Plans are implemented in collaboration with key local stakeholders, including schools, Community Development Councils, Mayor’s offices and local residents. These important partnerships ensure local buy-in and promote long-term sustainable development.
Why is this program important?
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Economic Growth
In 2020, Guatemala scored 0.62 in the gender gap index in the area of economic participation and opportunity. Meaning women are 38 percent less likely to have equal economic participation and opportunities than men. Guatemala ranked in the bottom third of the 153 countries taking part in this study.
Source: World Economic Forum -
Political Engagement
Guatemala has one of lowest rates of women’s political participation in Latin America, with only 7% of women holding ministerial positions and 19% of women in Parliament.
Source: World Economic Forum -
Empowerment
Guatemala is a patriarchal and male-dominated society characterized by the historical exclusion of indigenous populations in general and of women in particular. The existence of cultural norms and practices often restrict women from exploring roles outside those of wife and mother.