Women defenders in Guatemala: consolidating safe spaces and violence prevention mechanisms

Project period:

16.04.2026 - 15.02.2027

Granted amount:

700,000,- DKK

Total budget:

700,000,- DKK

Organization:

Nunca Mas

Partners:

Centro de Investigación para la Prevención de la Violencia en Centroamérica (CIPREVICA)

Pool:

Civilsamfundspuljen

Grant type:

Large Project

World goals:

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being

Goal 5: Gender Equality

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Efforts take place in:

Guatemala

Resume

This project continues previous intervention to strengthen women's leadership & promote new masculinities as allies in violence prevention across two municipalities in Quiché, Guatemala by consolidating work by incl. 2 new municipalities. It trains Indigenous female community leaders thru specialized workshops that equip them with tools to prevent & address violence. Upon completion, participants become multipliers, replicating sustainable prevention strategies within their communities while empowering other women. The initiative also engages 30 male community leaders in a formative process on new masculinities, sensitizing them to violence prevention against women & promoting the deconstruction of traditional gender norms that perpetuate violence. The project consolidates women-led prevention networks, strengthening their sustainability and deepening male engagement. Lessons from initial project revealed necessity of reinforcing women's autonomy, leadership, & institutional anchoring.