Economic Empowerment of Indigenous Youth and Women 

The Project will improve the living conditions of indigenous men and women between the ages of 15 and 35 years, so that they can increase their income and improve their capabilities as well as improving the current conditions for autonomous decision-making; gaining access to professional technical education and market insertion opportunities; it will also the promote sustainable entrepreneurship and financial inclusion, as well as the empowerment of women.The department of Alta Verapaz is located in the north of the Republic of Guatemala. It has a total population of 1.3 million people, 50% are women and 50% men; the population is mainly indigenous (94%) and most of them belong to the Q'eqchí and Pocomchí ethnic groups; likewise, 77% reside mainly in the rural area and only 23% of the population lives in urban areas (INE, 2016). The department of Alta Verapaz has the highest indicator of extreme poverty at 53.6% and total poverty level of 83.1%. Instead of improving, as of 2014 (ENCOVI 2016) poverty has increased by 4.3%, making it the poorest department nationwide. When talking about the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), Alta Verapaz has the highest index in the country, at 0.529, meaning it has the least access to health, education and minimum quality of life conditions such as housing, electricity, sanitation, drinking water and other necessities.
On the subject of reproductive sexual health, the data is alarming:
According to the reflected indicators of the MSPAS (INE, SEGEPLAN, 2017), the fertility rate is 2.8 children per woman, maternity in adolescents (15 to 19 years) is 7% and there is  total of 11,605 cases of young mothers from ages 10 to 19.
Project duration
2018 - 2023
Financed by
  • Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)

The project

The project will help improve the life of women and young people by helping them increase their income in two ways: First is by generating jobs for young people who will have access to technical and professional training. The second is through the development of new business ventures, the improvement of existing business ventures and encouraging young people in technical and professional training to generate self-employment ventures. Finally, women’s participation across the whole process will be encouraged by developing a massive education and awareness process.


This will be achieved by working on three components (systemic effects): i) Improvement of professional technical training and job placement; ii) Promotion of sustainable entrepreneurship and financial inclusion; iii) Empowerment of women (sexual and reproductive health, violence prevention, and care economy) trying to work with 3 transversal lines simultaneously: i) gender, ii) environment and iii) governance and conflict management.


The work strategies foresee coordinating with public and private actors at the micro (municipal) level; meso (departmental) and macro level (national and international). The approach is taken on by the actors of the market systems (public and private), generating innovations in the economic and social spheres. The project will intervene in 12 municipalities in 3 key areas of the department of Alta Verapaz and in four sectors That have the greatest economic potential: The sectors of forestry, tourism, construction and environmental services. 

Results

The economy of Alta Verapaz is based on agriculture, livestock, and forestry, known for producing coffee, cardamom, and other high-quality agricultural products. Despite this, poverty remains prevalent, with incomes affected by climatic conditions, international market prices, and deficiencies in logistical distribution and transport.

The inclusive market systems approach has successfully increased incomes, created employment opportunities for youth, men, and women, and empowered women to promote sustainable social and economic development. The project aimed to improve living conditions by reducing poverty in remote and underserved areas, achieving this through strategies focused on increasing beneficiary incomes and enhancing decision-making capacities for young people and women.

Over 5,000 young people, 88% of whom are women, received technical training for hard and soft skills, facilitating their entry into the labor market. Collaboration with more than 15 educational centers strengthened curricula, trained instructors, and improved educational environments. The private sector ensured training met market needs, while academic and public sectors certified the training, adopting the methodology and instruments for continuity.

Innovative methodologies certified over 200 young people in advanced topics like technology use, programming, tourist services, and work internships. Partnerships with the Ministries of Economy and Labour and municipalities facilitated the labor market entry of nearly 11,000 young people through job fairs, employment offices, and scholarships.

The initiative also led to the creation and maintenance of around 1,900 businesses, predominantly run by young people and women. Business advisory services in financial education supported thousands of young people in developing business models, prototypes, and starting businesses, aided by seed capital from the project.

Additionally, over 200,000 people were sensitized on sexual and reproductive education, violence prevention, and the Let's Live in Harmony campaign named Wank Sa' Tuqtuukilal, using radio, television, and interactive material. Local and national organizations played a crucial role in this outreach.

A sustainable legacy includes nearly 700 trained technicians and health promoters facilitating Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) topics across 19 districts in 17 municipalities. The project has significantly advanced in transferring methodologies, empowering women, and strengthening entrepreneurship. Challenges remain in consolidating these efforts, but continued action and additional resources from Swisscontact International and partners are in place. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency's support has been vital, aiming for lasting impact from these investments.

Financing partners

This project is financed by SIDA, among other donors. It is part of the Swisscontact Development Programme, co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA.

News

Guatemala
Entrepreneurial ecosystems, Initial vocational education and training, Labour market insertion
24.11.2022
Multiply the empowerment: promoting gender equality through grassroots leadership 
In Guatemala, Swisscontact implements Empodera — Economic Empowerment of Indigenous Youth and Women project — to improve the living conditions of indigenous young people and women by helping to increase their incomes through employment and entrepreneurship.
Guatemala
Upskilling and Reskilling, Entrepreneurial ecosystems, Labour market insertion
25.07.2022
Empodera: a project to achieve women's economic autonomy and equality in Guatemala 
Through the Empodera project, Swisscontact aims to improve the living conditions of indigenous youth and women by promoting opportunities for vocational education and job placement. This is a vulnerable population because employment is scarce and they have little access to training and access to the labour market. Swisscontact supports the employability and entrepreneurship of young men and women, enabling them to increase their income. 
Guatemala
25.11.2021
A new television programme to empower the youth of Alta Verapaz
Swisscontact is bringing information and awareness of sexual and reproductive health to young people in Alta Verapaz, one of the poorest departments in Guatemala. For this purpose, a television programme was recently created to contribute to the prevention of teenage pregnancies and violence. This initiative is implemented together with the Municipality of Cobán and the local health department (DASAV) of the Ministry of Health.