Gender Equality and Empowerment of

Women in the Context of

the Implementation of the Millennium
Development Goals

2010 High-level Segment

Economic and Social Council
New York, 28 June – 2 July

Annual Ministerial Review : Nacional Voluntary Presentation

GUATEMALA
Guatemala: an unequal and
diverse country
• Population: 14.4 million
o 51.2% women, 48.8% men
o 38.4% indigenous, 61.6% non-indigenous

• Post Conflict and Democracy:

o 36 years of armed conflict (1960-1996)
o 1985: First civilian government elected
o 1996: Signing of Peace Agreements

• Human Development Index: ranks 118 (0,689)

• Gini Coefficient for Income Distribution: 0.55

• One of the most vulnerable countries in terms of

Climate Change
 Status of women in Guatemala

Social
Poverty
exclusion

Political
Situation of Exclusion
Gender systematical Ethnic
Discrimination and
relatioships discrimination
disadvantages
Economic for women
Geographical
exclusion

Cultural
Trends in selected indicators, Millennium
Goals Situation of Women 1990-2010
 Gender Gaps
Target 6A: Have halted by 2015 and
begun to reverse the spread of HIV / AIDS

Source: National Epidemiology Center, Ministry of Health

 Gender Gaps
Target 1B: Achieve full and productive
employment and decent work for all,
including women and young people

Source: INE-ENCOVI, 2006

 Gender Gaps
Target 1B: Achieve full and productive
employment and decent work for all,
including women and young people
 Intra-gender Gaps
Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Source: National Epidemiology Center, Ministry of Health, 2008

 Income / Population Ratio:
Employed persons between the ages of 15 and 65
by sex and ethnic identity

Source: ENCOVI, 2006

 Sustained increase of women
meeting violent deaths
Harassment
Social Indifference
Prolonged abuse
Limited institutional
Psychological pressure
response capacity
Physical and sexual
violence Four decades of
Femicide
internal armed conflict

A total of 4,602 cases of

women meeting violent
deaths are registered
Source: PNC, 2007.
between 2001 to 2009
 Decision-Making
Percentage of Women with a seat in Congress

1986: 7% 2008: 12% (19 non-indigenous, 4 indigenous)

Participation in Departmental Development Councils (CODEDE)

2009: 190 women / 861 men
53 indigenous women / 137 non indigenous women

Participation in Local Government

2007 Elections: 6 of 333 mayoralties / municipal councils (1.8%)
235 representation in municipal corporations (5.84%)

Source: TSE, 2007, Segeplan, 2010

 Advances for Women’s Equality

Beijing Declaration Peace Agreements National Women’s Forum

(1995) (1996) (1997)

National Policy for the

Millennium Development Advancement and Integral
Social Development Law
Goals (MDG) Development of
(2001) Guatemalan Women
(2000)
(2001)

50% of policies include guidelines

Institutional Framework MDG and Sectoral and actions to promote gender
-Presidential Secretariat Programmes linked with and ethnic equality.
for Women gender policy and MDG.
 Links between the National Policy for the
Advancement and Integral Development of
Women and the MDG’s

Pillars of the National Policy for the Advancement and MDG

Integral Development of Women 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Economic development X X
Natural resources X
Educational equity X X
Health equity X X X
Erradication of violence against women X X
Legal equity X
Racism and discrimination X
Cultural Development X X
Equity in employment X X X
Institutional mechanisms X X
Sociopolitical participation X
Cultural identity of Maya, Garífuna and Xinka women X X
 Links between MDG reports and
policy making
COST – EFFECTIVE VARIABLES /MDG Report 2006 GOVERNMENTAL PROGRAMMES
Children with access to GROWTH MONITORING “Mi familia progresa” conditional
Mothers with access to the BREASTFEEDING Programmes cash transfer

Pregnant women with access to PRENATAL CARE Nutrition and Food Security

Mothers with access to POST-NATAL CARE Reproductive Health

Households with well or tap (access to PUBLIC WATER
“Agua Fuente de Paz”
SUPPLY)
Water and Drainage for Human
Households with LATRINE (access to wastepipe) Development

Access to HEALTH-CARE SERVICES, clinics, health-care Reinstatement of free public services,

centers and hospitals provision of ambulances, 24-hour care

Access to SCHOOLS Reinstatement of free public services,

loans, grants,
Primary school students receiving ACADEMIC INCENTIVES scholarships
Parents’ educational level (+parental illiteracy-children’s
Free of charge Literacy
education)
Households with ELECTRICITY Electric Supply for Rural Areas
 Lessons Learned

Alliances between women’s organizations and public institutions

Alliances between women and other marginalized groups.

State-initiated action benefiting women creates new opportunities for

participation.

Pemanent female representation in local governments and territories.

 Challenges for the Country
The pace of progress is extremely slow for Guatemala to achieve the MDG’s
and gender equity.
• The adverse economic climate
• Historical reluctance to increase the country’s tax rate.

More efficient and effective management of development on behalf of the

State
• Improve actions of public policies to achieve gender empowerment.
• To strengthen the planning system at both territorial and sectoral levels.
• To mainstream women’s rights into the public policy agenda, the legal and
institutional framework, the organizational culture and administrative practices.

Continuing the efforts of alignment, harmonization and appropriation in the

area of international cooperation.

Improving transparency, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

 Effects of Guatemala’s disaster
vulnerability on the achivement of MDG’s and gender equity
Secretariat for Planning and Programming
Republic of Guatemala
–Segeplan-
www.segeplan.gob.gt