Monday, August 3, 2009


Monday Morning---Today we're off to visit the Myrna Mack Foundation and will have a meetng with Rosa Franco and Hilda Morales a bit later in the day. Yesterday's visits with women leaders in the movement against femicide and violence were both inspiring and deeply disturbing. While women labor leaders in the banana unions are making great strides in securing workers rights and strengthening the leadership roles of women, the mulitnational corporations continue to chip away at their access to health benefits and limit the expansion of unions in the south coast where more than 40,000 workers. Our visitors from Mama Maqui, a Mayan women's organization developed while these Mam Mayan women were exiled in Chiapas, has developed an incredible organization functioning throughout Guatemala to secure women's rights to own land. Inez and Fabiana travelled 12 hours by bus to present their story to our delegation.


Our visit with Gladys Monterroso, Professor of Law at the University of San Carlos, left us deeply disturbed yet inspired by her courage. Her strength in confronting the judicial and law enforcement systems sends a strong message to all in Guatemala who fail to protect the rights of women.

1 comment:

  1. Thank you to all of you who are taking turns writing about the days--it is really quite remarkable to check in and learn about what you are doing, who you are meeting, where you are going. I have lots of questions for Debbie, Beth, Carmen and Janett when you get back!!

    Kristi

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