Fecha de inicio: Enero/2019
End date: Dec/2022
42 young female volunteers
From 2019 to 2022, the AMA Association partnered with the "Empowering Adolescent Girls in Central America" program, an initiative of the Global Child Fund (GFC) in conjunction with the Dubai Cares Foundation. This program aimed to deepen and expand gender equality and promote the rights and opportunities of adolescent girls in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Through this initiative, leaders and grassroots organizations were supported to strengthen their organizations with innovative programs that empower children and youth. For this, GFC combined flexible financing, technical assistance, access to networks, and program staff support.
Within this framework, the AMA Association focused its participation on activities that strengthen internal capabilities, empower adolescent girls, and engage in dialogue and advocacy activities involving adolescent girls and decision-makers from government institutions and civil society organizations. These efforts aimed to prevent early pregnancy and sexual violence in the Petén department, Guatemala.
1. Thirty Broadcasts of the Bilingual Radio Program "The ABC of Sexuality"
2. Instalación de dos vallas publicitarias
3. Delivery of Supplies and Equipment to the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance
4. Distribution of Bilingual Spanish-Maya Q’eqchí’ COVID-19 Prevention Informational Material
5. Meeting of the Petén Departmental Technical Table for the National Plan to Prevent Adolescent Pregnancies (PLANEA)
6. Presentation of PLANEA to the CODEDE of Petén
7. Distribution of Food and Hygiene Kits to Adolescent Girls with Disabilities
1. Six Workshops on the Use of Digital Platforms and Social Media for Online Facilitation
2. Acquisition of a Vehicle
3. Translation of AMA's Website
1. Updating AMA's Strategic Plan
The AMA Association carried out the update of its strategic plan, which was done with organizational development funds granted by GFC. This was necessary because, like any organization, AMA needs to have an updated tool to guide its work, based on the guidelines of its statutes and the vision originally established by the youth group.
Accordingly, the AMA Association hired a consultant to develop a strategic tool that systematically organizes the ideas and actions of the AMA Association to improve and guide the management of the organization.
Therefore, the consultant prepared AMA's strategic plan in a participatory manner, working closely with AMA's Executive, Administrative, and the adolescent girls and young women who make up the technical team.
2. Meeting of the "Prevent with Education" Petén Departmental Technical Table
With advocacy funds granted by GFC, a meeting of the "Prevent with Education" Petén Departmental Technical Table was held, aiming to strengthen the joint efforts between the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, and AMA, to start establishing the 2022 Strategic Plan of the "Prevent with Education" Petén Departmental Technical Table and to fulfill the "Prevent with Education" 2022-2025 Agreement.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the coordination of efforts among the aforementioned actors had been affected, making it necessary to resume the actions of the table.
During the meeting, both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education presented their progress in contributing to the reduction of pregnancies in adolescent girls and also expressed that due to the health restrictions caused by the pandemic, it is more difficult to work with adolescent girls.
DIDEDUC representatives announced that in 2022, 26 diplomas on comprehensive sexuality education and violence prevention will be conducted in the 26 education districts of the 14 municipalities of Petén.
Approximately 650 primary and basic level teachers will participate, benefiting around 13,000 girls, boys, adolescents, and youth who will receive sexual education in their classrooms. The teachers participating in the diplomas are required to put into practice the learned content.
The AMA Association has monitored the launch of the diplomas in Southern Petén, ensuring that they have started in the municipalities of San Luis, Poptún, Dolores, El Chal, and Santa Ana, Petén. AMA is also collaborating in the facilitation of topics related to sexual education and violence prevention.
It is worth mentioning that in the municipality of Dolores, Petén, the diploma is being conducted remotely. In 2020, AMA strengthened the capacities of 25 DIDEDUC pedagogical advisors through a diploma on the use of digital platforms for dynamic distance education implementation.
The meeting also established the schedule for the circles, camps, and workshops that AMA is conducting with the participation of adolescent girls, midwives, and health district staff in Southern Petén, thereby strengthening access to comprehensive and differentiated health care for adolescent girls in Southern Petén.
It is of utmost importance to mention that the meeting was attended by the Petén Departmental Director of Education and the Director of the Petén Sur Oriente Health Area and their respective work teams, allowing direct advocacy with high-level decision-makers in Petén. This has ensured that the commitments made are being put into practice.
3. Reactivation Meetings of the Municipal Tables of Poptún and San Luis, Petén, for the National Plan for the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancies (PLANEA)
Con fondos de incidencia durante el periodo del informe se realizó una de dos reuniones programadas para la reactivación de las mesas municipales de Poptún y San Luis, Petén, para el plan nacional de prevención de embarazos en adolescentes.
La reunión fue convocada por AMA a través de las redes integradas del Sur de Petén, ya que consideramos un espacio propicio para poder realizar la incidencia para que las mesas municipales para el PLANEA se reactivaran. En tal sentido se logró realizar la incidencia para que las mesas municipales de San Luis y Poptún se reactivarán, esto debido a que la pandemia detuvo su avance.
The AMA Association, along with the Ministry of Health, led the meeting. In the case of the AMA Association, it was represented by Maya Q’eqchí and mestizo adolescent girls and young women, who gave presentations on the importance of reactivating the tables for PLANEA, as well as sharing the work on the prevention of pregnancies and sexual violence against adolescent girls that AMA carries out in alliance with local institutions and international support.
Representatives from the health and education districts of San Luis, Poptún, Dolores, El Chal, and Santa Ana, Petén, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Development, the Indigenous Women's Defense, the Human Rights Procurator's Office, Municipal Offices for Child and Adolescent Protection, the Public Ministry, the Sexual Violence Clinic of the Poptún Hospital, UNHCR, and Refugio de la Niñez, and the AMA Association participated in the meeting.
This space allowed for the joint sectoral efforts for the prevention of pregnancies and violence against adolescent girls. It was agreed that the Poptún municipal table would be reactivated on Friday, May 6, representing a significant achievement. The Ministry of Health had not assumed the leadership role it corresponds to in relation to PLANEA to date.
It is noteworthy that the table for PLANEA involves the participation of political actors, as it must be convened through the Departmental Governor for the departmental table and through the mayors for the municipal tables, which complicates their integration.
4. Two Meetings of the Petén Departmental Technical Table for the National Plan for the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancies (PLANEA)
Durante las reuniones se pudo conocer los avances al plan y determinar que para dar una mejor respuesta al alto índice de embarazo y violencia sexual contra niñas adolescentes es necesario continuar fortaleciendo su acceso a la educación integral en sexualidad (EIS) y la prevención de la violencia (PV), en tal sentido inclinar esfuerzos en concluir a distancia los diplomados sobre EIS y PV que se están realizando en los distintos Distritos Escolares de Petén.
It should be noted that at that time, diplomas on EIS and PV were being conducted in the 14 municipalities of Petén, which represents a significant achievement, as these had been suspended due to the arrival of COVID-19, and they are now being concluded in some municipalities such as Poptún, El Chal, San José, Sayaxché, and San Francisco, Petén.
It was also determined that it is important to continue strengthening friendly spaces for adolescents and implement a remote methodology strategy to reach them and send information on sexual and reproductive health, responsible sexuality, and violence prevention. Currently, social workers from health districts are communicating with adolescents, especially through WhatsApp groups, where they send articles, videos, and conduct discussions on these topics.
5. Presentation to Adolescent Girls and Youth and Community Leaders in Southern Petén of the "Silenced Lives" Study by FLACSO Guatemala
AMA, in partnership with the Human Rights Procurator's Office of Poptún, presented the "Silenced Lives" study, research on suicide in pregnant adolescents by FLACSO Guatemala.
"Silenced Lives" is a study conducted by FLACSO Guatemala, which addresses the suicide of pregnant adolescents, many of whom have been victims of sexual violence, leading them to take their own lives.
The presentation of the "Silenced Lives" study included the participation of adolescent girls, local leaders, civil society organizations, and coordinators of the municipal offices for child, adolescent, and youth protection in Southern Petén. The study is research on suicides in pregnant adolescents conducted by FLACSO Guatemala and was presented in Southern Petén in partnership with the PDH of Poptún and the financial support of the Global Fund for Children.
For AMA, it was very important to have the presence of girls participating in our programs, as by being present in this activity, they are informed, learn about what many adolescents have experienced, and can share what they are learning with other girls from their establishments and communities to prevent further suicides of pregnant girls and adolescents due to violence.
Sexual violence and pregnancies among adolescent girls and young women are increasing problems in Guatemala, and the communities of Southern Petén are no exception (Municipalities of San Luis, Poptún, Dolores, El Chal, and Santa Ana).
As a result, the National Observatory of Sexual and Reproductive Health – OSAR – reports that from January to October 2019, there were 114,858 pregnancies among indigenous and mestizo girls and adolescents aged 10 to 19 years, of which 5,061 correspond to girls between 10 to 14 years, an age where they are typified as Victims of Sexual Violence.
For the same period in Petén, OSAR reports 3,685 pregnancies among girls and adolescents aged 10 to 19 years, of which 177 correspond to sexual violence crimes as they are girls aged 10 to 14 years.
In Southern Petén, there are 1,070 pregnancies among girls and adolescents aged 10 to 19 years, of which OSAR reports that 41 correspond to girls aged 10 to 14 years.
Volunteering:
42 adolescent girls aged between 13 and 15 years, who were part of the school governments in 6 basic education institutes, strengthened their leadership skills and are empowered to prevent early pregnancies and sexual violence.
With the support of Dubai Cares, part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the Global Fund for Children's Empowering Adolescent Girls project worked with a network of 17 community organizations to promote gender equality and the rights and opportunities of girls in Central America.
During the first semester of the program's inception, the COVID-19 pandemic began, and in Guatemala, it entered on March 13, 2020, which was confirmed by the President of the Republic, Alejandro Giammattei, who confirmed the first case, so the program was developed within the framework of this pandemic.
Blog published by Global Fund for Children within the framework of the Empowering Adolescent Girls in Central America program
1. With or without a pandemic, the fight for girls' rights persists in Guatemala
2. Stories in Power