Bridging Gender Gaps and Empowering Indigenous Women: Asociación Mujeres Liderando Guatemala (AMLG)

In Guatemala, Indigenous women represent around 23% of the population, and many of these women face barriers to education, with only about 20% completing secondary school. This disparity is a direct legacy of colonialism, systemic discrimination, racism, and entrenched gender inequality—issues that remain deeply threaded within the fabric of the country. While all Guatemalan women are impacted by gender discrimination, for Indigenous women, these structural challenges are particularly evident when they step into decision-making roles within non-governmental organizations. In such positions, their ability to lead is often undermined by discriminatory ideologies, inadequate resources, and insufficient training. 

This is not news to Asociación Mujeres Liderando Guatemala (AMLG). AMLG was born out of a collaborative pilot initiative, originally known as El Colectivo, co-run by four Guatemalan organizations: MAIA, Wuqu’ Kawoq, WINGS-Guatemala, and Iniciativa de los Derechos de la Mujer (WJI). This project, supported by the Summit Foundation since 2021, aimed to empower women by equipping them with the tools needed to become leaders, not only within their respective organizations but also within their local communities and on the broader national stage. Over the course of its first four years, El Colectivo supported two separate cohorts of 12 and 16 women, respectively, providing them with intensive English language-learning programs, cross-cultural networking training, management skills, leadership workshops, and more. All 26 graduates of the program now hold program coordination and leadership positions within various non-governmental organizations in central-western Guatemala. 

In June 2024, El Colectivo became Asociación Mujeres Liderando Guatemala, acquiring legal status as a non-profit in Guatemala. Drawing on its four years of experience and two empowered cohorts, AMLG is rapidly growing into a formidable force for change. Marta Miza, a participant from the second cohort, now serves as the first Executive Director of AMLG. Reflecting on her journey, Marta, a Kaqchikel Maya woman, states, “I aspire that women can have opportunities for professional growth in decision-making spaces, where we can challenge ourselves to continue opening gaps for and with other women.”  

AMLG has recently selected 19 dynamic women to join its newest cohort of leaders, moving beyond the four co-founders of El Colectivo and now including women from ten different Guatemalan NGOs focused on gender equality, social justice, and strengthening civil society. Beyond individual empowerment, AMLG is building a powerful network of women with honed organizational leadership and managerial skills, preparing them to step into decision-making and power-holding roles across Guatemalan society. 

Julia Morales (2021-2022 Fellow) contextualizes the need for Indigenous women-led and -centered organizations like AMLG in Guatemala:

“Patriarchy is deeply rooted in our culture, and it is complex and interesting for each of us to contribute to working against it. We must empower ourselves and say, ‘my work and my word are worth the same as a man’s’ but it is also a personal process through which we need a lot of support.”

AMLG’s focus on leadership development, language acquisition, and building strong professional networks is empowering a new generation of women to lead, challenge societal norms, and contribute meaningfully to Guatemala’s future.  

Partners:  

Asociación Mujeres Liderando Guatemala

MAIA  

WINGS Guatemala  

Women’s Justice Initiative  

Wuqu’ Kawoq