Country Context:
Politics and Business

Further challenges to representation

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Despite over 43 percent of the population in Guatemala identifying as indigenous, adequate representation has long been a struggle. The indigenous population has never held more than 22 seats (or 13 percent) in Congress at one time. There are congressional initiatives and committees that are supposed to be dedicated to the rights of indigenous people, but most of them seem to be in nomine tantum.

 

According to The Global Americans (2017), there is much more success for bills related to culture than bills related to business or representation. Bills with a less radical agenda are more likely to be enacted. Indigenous women are even less likely to be represented, in part because of fewer education and business opportunities. There have been attempts to ensure the participation and representation of indigenous women in politics, but there has not been substantial change made or significant legislation introduced to that effect.

 

In addition, there are obstacles such as language barriers, lack of information, bribery, and even violence. These obstacles disproportionately affect indigenous communities. Political parties that aim to represent indigenous communities rarely receive more than 5 percent of election votes. It is quite challenging to address a representative injustice without change at the legislative level.
 

Beyond the political landscape, there is also a lack of representation in business. The lack of education opportunities, particularly in rural communities, makes it difficult for indigenous women to achieve economic empowerment. They are often also unable to escape abusive and toxic situations at home because they lack the resources to pay for court services. This stems from not having economic autonomy in most cases.

 

There have been recent strides made to create opportunities for Guatemalan women to enter the workforce. The Guatemalan government collaborated with UN Women to create the National Coalition for the Economic Empowerment of Women. According to UN Women, only one of every ten indigenous women are paid for their work, and those women earn 19 percent less than mestiza women (2020). Focusing on development opportunities in rural communities, which are largely indigenous, is an important step toward inclusion.