APPEAL: End Violence against Guatemalan Women

In Guatemala, a human rights emergency is raging, and no one is paying attention.

Women and girls are being raped, tortured and murdered, their mutilated bodies discarded in public places.

In the past decade nearly 5,000 young women have been murdered in this way, some as young as ten. The community of our sister organization in Barcenas, Guatemala is ground zero in this crisis.

The challenge is immense, but change is possible. We can do it because of the courage of our sisters at the Women Workers' Committee in Barcenas, our expertise and strong alliances in the global women's movement, and because of you.

We will confront this crisis at every level.

• At the local level: We train women to form community watch groups and to use self-defense whistles provided by MADRE.
• At the international level: We work to pursue justice for the families of victims by providing legal aid services and demanding that the killings of women are properly investigated and prosecuted. We're starting with the case of Rosemary Gonzalez, a teenaged girl from the community of our sister organization who was murdered two years ago.
• At the national level: At the international level: We've already gathered on-the-ground evidence and testimonies for a report, which we will present to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in October.

Women in besieged communities like Barcenas deserve our support. By rallying action locally, nationally and globally, we can end this atrocity once and for all. To join the fight, click here.

Take Action

Two years ago, 17-year-old Rosemary Gonzalez said good-bye to her mother Betty, walked out of their small house on the outskirts of Guatemala City and was never seen alive again. As Betty fights for justice, you can be a part of her circle of support. To send her a message, click here.