LMU Alumni Stand Up for Women’s Rights in Guatemala

On January 2, 2005, the People & Places feature on National Public Radio was aired as usual. The report told the story of female sex workers in Guatemala who felt disrespected and hopeless because of their profession and because they lack access to education and skills-training that would allow them to leave prostitution. The women said they want to raise awareness of their struggles but didn’t know how. They received a tip: create a soccer team and build a public relations strategy around it to gain exposure and support. The idea worked, but the women still needed resources and assistance.

When Jodi Finkel, LMU political science professor, heard the story, she knew something had to be done. She quickly enlisted the aid of two LMU students, Ana Moraga ‘05 and Tania Torres ‘05, to help the women. In August 2005, the two alumni arrived in Guatemala City to meet with the women and discuss their needs. The women wanted literacy and vocational classes, so Moraga and Torres began offering courses at a local church.

Only one woman showed up for the first course, but that didn’t deter Moraga and Torres, who again asked the women what they needed. As a result, the pair offered computer classes in Microsoft Word and Excel as well as vocational courses such as beautician skills. They also partnered with Guatemala’s national literacy program to create Leer es Poder, a literacy certificate program. Then the students created MuJER, a nonprofit organization that promotes women’s rights through education and awareness.

“Our goal is to empower these women by creating a space where they can freely discuss and educate one another on pertinent issues,” Torres said. “By finding their voice, they can begin to improve their sense of self-worth.”

MuJER serves more than 25 women regularly. It offers English classes, computer classes and has added additional levels of literacy classes. The women receive bi-weekly home visits from social workers to promote dialogue about education, health, and women’s rights. MuJER also offers beauty school scholarships, with the agreement that the women will pass on their skills to others after they graduate.

Beatriz, a sex worker, says her beauty skills classes have transformed her life. She now manages a beauty salon part-time in her home. She also has taken a job with an HIV/STD health organization working in disease prevention among sex workers in Guatemala City. Beatriz said emotional support she found at MuJER gave her the strength to enroll in beauty school and take a different job.

“Fighting for a forgotten group of women to receive fair treatment made me realize that seeking social justice is a way of recognizing the humanity of every individual,” Moraga said.

MuJER also is a member La Red de No Violencia Contra las Mujeres, (The Network of No Violence Against Women), a network of women's organizations dedicated to the prevention and eradication of discrimination, oppression and violence against women in Guatemala. On March 21-22, MuJER and LMU hosted the “Guatemalan Femicide Conference: Shed the Veil of Indifference.” The event was the first international conference on the murders of women in Guatemala in the United States.

As well as serving as teachers, Moraga and Torres are executive directors of MuJER. Future plans for the organization include opening a coffee house that will help generate income and be a site for classes and seminars.

If you would like to volunteer or to make a donation, please contact leerespoder@gmail.com

For more information about MuJER, please visit: www.mujer.cfsites.org

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