Productive Projects as a Way to Empower Indigenous Women in Community Development in San Pedro La Laguna, Sololá, Guatemala

Abstract

The implementation of productive projects in indigenous communities in the Latin American context arises from the need to boost the economy, increase income, generate jobs and, specifically in the case of those focused on women, favor their visibility and participation within the community. This article identifies the triggering factors for female empowerment in a guatemalan indigenous community. At first the theoretical concepts are discussed; later, through the case study of San Pedro La Laguna, Sololá, the origin of this process is explained from the modification of gender roles. Finally, based on the field work carried out, the factors that condition it and how it manifests itself in the collective sense are analyzed. It starts from the premise that the formation of women’s associations increases their participation in productive projects, contributes successfully to collective empowerment, favoring community development.