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Georgetown Americas Institute

December 4, 2024

Building Safer Futures: Ending Violence Against Girls and Young Children in Guatemala

RSVP Required
Embroidery showing two children.

The recently published Collaborative Insights report, “Localization for Early Childhood Development and Child Protection in Guatemala," highlights early marriages, early unions, and early pregnancies—alongside sexual violence and other forms of gender-based violence against girls—as some of the root causes of deeply ingrained inequality and social exclusion in Guatemala. In 2023, nearly 70,000 children between the ages of 10 and 17 were married or in unions, with 79% (55,309) being girls. Despite the significant underreporting of cases, the government of Guatemala suggests that unwanted pregnancies and early childbearing among girls aged 10–14 are correlated with sexual violence (SVET, 2019). Early marriage and early unions in Guatemala are also associated with a lack of financial independence and a lack of bodily autonomy and family planning choices. Early pregnancies put girls' health at risk, hinder their educational outcomes, and limit their access to dignified livelihood opportunities. These challenges can also negatively impact their children's well-being, perpetuating economic and social exclusion cycles. 

This webinar will foster an open space for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and learning among organizations working to amplify girls' voices in initiatives aimed at addressing gender-based violence and influencing how duty-bearers respond to its various forms.

Building on the Collaborative Insights report’s intersectional analysis of violence against women, girls, and children, the webinar will explore effective strategies to prevent violence against children, including approaches that employ a “whole family” or “two-generation” approach, and consider the regional outlook and government commitments emerging from the Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children. Held as part of the global community’s observation of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence from November 25 to December 10, this webinar aims to bridge the gap between policy and practice related to the prevention of early marriages, early unions, and early pregnancies, as well as addressing sexual violence and other forms of gender-based violence against girls.

This event is co-sponsored by the Georgetown University Collaborative on Global Children's Issues and the Georgetown Americas Institute.

The webinar will be held in English and Spanish, with simultaneous interpretation. We encourage participants to submit their questions for the speakers in advance, in either English or Spanish, to globalchildren@georgetown.edu. 

Participants

Elena Ruiz Bejarano

Elena Ruiz Bejarano

Elena Ruiz Bejarano is the general coordinator at CIPRODENI, Guatemala's largest children's rights advocacy and research network, implementing projects in Guatemala, the Northern Triangle, and the Latin American region. She has an extensive track record in human rights advocacy. Her work focuses on empowering girls and women; preventing gender-based violence; amplifying the voices of girls, boys, and youth; and advocating for their recognition as rights holders in Guatemala.

Emily López

Emily López

Emily López is a 17-year-old from San Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala. She has been actively involved in various empowerment initiatives for girls and adolescents, including niñas poderosas. In her community, she participates in workshops on girls' rights and sexual education, gaining valuable knowledge and skills. López is committed to sharing what she’s learned with other adolescents in her community, fostering awareness and education among her peers.

Chrissy Hart

Chrissy Hart

Chrissy Hart is the director of policy and advocacy with Together for Girls. She has worked on policy and advocacy focused on human rights, gender equality, gender-based violence, and U.S. foreign policy for over 15 years at organizations including UN Women, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, Women Thrive Worldwide, RFK Human Rights, and on Capitol Hill. She holds a B.A. in political science from Colgate University and an M.A. in international human rights from the University of Denver.

Mara Tissera Luna

Mara Tissera Luna (moderator)

Mara Tissera Luna (moderator) is a fellow at the Georgetown University Collaborative on Global Children's Issues and an independent consultant focusing on child protection, gender-based violence, forced migration, participation, and localization. She is a member of the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action’s Localization Advisory Group and the Latin American Council of Social Sciences. She is the author of the Collaborative Insights report “Localization for Early Childhood Development and Child Protection in Guatemala.”

Accessibility

Accommodation requests should be sent to globalchildren@georgetown.edu by December 1. A good-faith effort will be made to fulfill requests.