BLOG: A Grassroots Activist on the Frontlines of the Women's Movement

Sandra Morán reminds us all why international grassroots solidarity is so important. “We are all part of the same movement,” she says.

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Every March 8 – International Women's Day – Sandra Morán takes to the streets with hundreds to thousands of women, megaphone in hand, leading the grassroots movement for women's rights in Guatemala and demanding government action to end widespread violence against women. In Guatemala, this simple act is itself a display of courage and rebellion.

Guatemala has become one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman. Along with high rates of domestic violence, the country has become infamous for frequent and brutal femicides: 708 women killed in 2009; 633 in 2010. The government, unable or unwilling to address the issue, has made little progress in preventing this violence or prosecuting those responsible. Impunity in femicide cases remains steady at 99%. The current wave of violence –admittedly more random and therefore more terrifying for women and their families –is the newest manifestation of a long history of sexual violence, gender discrimination, marginalization, and victimization of women in Guatemala.

Despite these obstacles, Guatemalan women's groups have formed a powerful movement. They are one of the country's loudest voices demanding rule of law, respect for human rights, and government accountability.

As a feminist and lesbian, musician and poet, Sandra Morán has been at the forefront of women's grassroots organizing efforts for over 20 years. She participated in student movements in high school and college. Forced into exile during Guatemala's internal conflict, she built international solidarity for Guatemala and denounced grave human rights violations committed by the government. In 1994, Sandra returned to her native country, helping to form the Women's Sector, an alliance of women's organizations across Guatemala. In 1995 Sandra founded the nation's first lesbian collective, We Are Women, and she helped organize the first gay pride parade in Guatemala City in 1998. After the Peace Accords were signed in 1996, Sandra became a driving force behind the National Women's Forum, a body that promoted women's participation in the public sphere and generated policy proposals.

Thanks to the work of Sandra and other dedicated activists, there has been increasing public recognition of gender inequality and the government has taken some steps to respond to the high levels of violence. In 2008, the Guatemalan Congress passed the Law against Femicide and Other Forms of Violence Against Women. More women are now active in local and national government and, in 2010, Guatemala appointed its first female Attorney General. The women's movement has grown and so has the support for LGBT rights.

Yet widespread marginalization and violence against women continues. As the Women's Sector recently highlighted, the challenges women face today are diverse and deeply-rooted: insecurity due to organized crime and gang violence; lack of economic resources; public institutions that serve private interests and perpetuate impunity; a Congress that fails to prioritize women's rights and protection. Tragically, more women are dying violent deaths today than during the end of the war.

As Acting Director of the Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC), I have had the honor to work with Sandra and other Guatemalan partners to support women's rights and raise awareness in the US about ongoing violence and femicide in Guatemala. As a solidarity organization that works to document human rights violations and advocate for victims and survivors of violence, GHRC seeks to amplify the voices of Guatemalan women in the international arena.

Sandra inspires me and my work at GHRC. She reminds us all why international grassroots solidarity is so important. “We are all part of the same movement,” she says. In Guatemala, in the US, and all over the world, women struggle for their rights: the right to participate in the public sphere, to earn equal pay for equal work, to have control over our own bodies, and to live a life free from violence.

The situation in Guatemala is complex and will not improve overnight. Yet from here in the US, we can support positive change for women through solidarity actions, congressional resolutions, and targeted foreign assistance programs. The first step, however, is education. From March 26-April 7, you can meet Sandra and hear her story as part of a GHRC speaking tour at venues on the East coast. Learn more at www.ghrc-usa.org.