The Guatemalan Association of Exporters -AGEXPORT- implements the “Economic Empowerment of Women” component through the Tejiendo Paz project, which is financed by the United States Agency for International Development -USAID- and implemented by the organization Creative Associates.
AGEXPORT joined this project starting in December 2022 with the objective of promoting and promoting sustainable development in communities in the departments of San Marcos, Huehuetenango, Totonicapán, and Quiché, through the support and formation of 44 local enterprises and/or MSMEs led by women.
At the date (October 2023), AGEXPORT has strengthened the capacities of associative entrepreneurship, gender equality and economic empowerment of 393 women, formed into 34 groups in 42 communities in the departments where it has an impact; Likewise, savings and credit banks have been established, a methodology that allows groups to have economic funds for the development of their ventures and/or MSMEs.
The vanguard of “Women’s Economic Empowerment”
AGEXPORT’s business advisors, who provide monitoring, formation, and attention to women’s groups, have given 23 workshops in the 4 departments in order to achieve the formation of the groups, publicize the objective of the component “Economic Empowerment of Women” and promote entrepreneurship in communities.
Through these workshops, it has been possible to identify the ideas and business proposals that the 34 groups already formed have, among which the following are recurring: textile production, clothing inspired by knitting and stones, and textiles embroidered with techniques ancient Mayan and innovative.
AGEXPORT and the road ahead
In this way, AGEXPORT will continue working with the already formed groups of women with the purpose of promoting the ventures already identified and bringing together more groups of women in the impact communities.
The next step will be to work on the business ideas that the women’s groups have, in order to make them a reality and allow them to diversify their economy to improve their quality of life and that of their families. AGEXPORT will strengthen its competitiveness through the quality of its products and commercial promotion.
“Betting on the growth and empowerment of women is contributing to a positive change in the new generations and to closing gender inequality gaps, making them essential and worthy in decision-making for the development of their communities and the country. At AGEXPORT we promote gender equality and economic empowerment for all women and girls.” – Mónica Mazariegos, head of the Women’s Economic Empowerment component of the Tejiendo Paz project by AGEXPORT.
