Women's Justice Initiative
Cuchubal Match Program *New*
A "cuchubal" is a group savings club model widely used in Guatemala that enables people to pool their resources and access larger sums of money than they could save on their own. To support the growing demographic of women entrepreneurs shackled with debt in Guatemala, Women in Justice leverages this existing, culturally relevant approach to savings and incentivizes women with poor credit to establish a cuchubal of six women over the course of six months. Throughout the CM, women learn how to invest their savings, manage existing debts, and master effective cash management techniques so they don’t become dependent on borrowing money, and can break free from vicious cycles of poverty and debt.
Legal Services Program
The Legal Services Program provides free legal services directly to women in need by bringing lawyers and paralegals to their communities and by providing bilingual Maya Kaqchikel-Spanish resources. Our mobile legal outreach ensures that the most marginalized women, who may not be able to leave their homes or communities, can access legal support and counseling. In some of the most remote communities, WJI’s legal staff work with Community Advocates to provide legal consults through videoconferencing. In doing so, we greatly expand women’s access to justice.
Women's Rights Education Program
The Women’s Rights Education Program is a three-month legal literacy and empowerment course that educates women on asserting and protecting their rights.
Adolescent Girls Program
WJI uses a holistic approach, working directly with both adolescent girls and important stakeholders in their lives to protect girls and end child marriage in rural Guatemala.
Community Advocates Program
The Community Advocates Program taps into the transformative potential of Maya women, training them to become leaders, women’s rights educators, and mentors to women and girls in their communities. Advocates undergo intensive leadership development in a two-year program that includes monthly workshops on human rights, prevention of violence against women and girls (VAWG), and leadership, as well as training on workshop facilitation, monitoring and evaluation, and community-based advocacy.