Business Management Skills and Empowerment of Achies Indigenous Women

1. Where does the experience take place?

The experience of the association Asociacin de Desarrollo Integral Flor de Algodn takes place in the Village of Chuaperol, Rabinal Municipality, 4.5 kilometers from the municipal city, 20 minutes by the main road. The municipality is the oldest in the Department of Baja Verapaz, Guatemala; it was founded in 1537 by Fray Bartolom de Las Casas. The municipality is known by the famous Rabinal Ach, pre-Hispanic danced play. It is located 178 kilometers from the City of Guatemala, and 28 from Salam. It is known for the production of pre-Hispanic pottery and hand-painted bowls. The town is considered one of the most important centers of traditional folk culture of Guatemala. 81.1% of the population belong to the Mayan Ach ethnic group and speak Mayan languages. It is a region of sub-tropical dry forest, wet in a few places, and with steep slopes and ravines. The area is crossed by Negro, or Chixoy, River that crosses Chuacs Sierra. The main stakeholders of this experience are 12 families from the Ach ethnic group -8 women and 4 men-, the administrative council is composed of 4 women and 2 men; the members are widows, single women and families. They are engaged in the production of basic grains for self-consumption and handicrafts as main income source. The organization is dedicated to the production of textiles, such as gipiles (typical vestments), tablecloths, centerpieces, napkins, scarves, hammocks, and fabrics by the yard. The organization was formed following the violence arising from the internal armed conflict as a womens committee, to overcome said situation. There are several institutions related with this experience, among them: the Family Integration Center (Centro de Integracin Familiar) (CIF), which strongly supported on textiles training; SHARE that contributed to the purchase of looms, threads, and also to identify markets; AGEXPORT that supported on business management and market access; PRODEVER, which contributed in organizational training, legalization, organizational strengthening, reproductive health, business management, and the acquisition of incomes, such as threats, sewing machines. 2. What do we learn from this experience? Impact of Achi indigenous womens empowerment on organization, for the benefit of their families and communities. Promotion of complementary relationships in the families and textiles productive association. Inclusion of men in areas historically considered only for women. The role of women and the capacities they acquitted in the administration of resources and income generation.

Learning Route: Tools to mainstream gender equity and womens empowerment in IFADs projects: the experience of Central America

3.

What are the milestones or key moments of this experience?

Formation of the organization The organization was born as a result of the internal armed conflict in Guatemala developed during the 80s, as an alternative to meet their needs. Many women lost their partners during the conflict which led to a radical change in womens roles; assuming responsibilities and activities in which they had had no or little involvement to raise their children and support other members of the family, such as parents and grandparents. For women, this meant to be involved in all farming activities, as working in the plots, in the basic grains chain; at the same time they continued with their domestic and communal activities, reinforcing the triple role; needs made them head of households, responsible for supporting their families. The organization started as womens committee, receiving training in weaving by CIF. The main idea was that women mostly widows- will develop income generating activities to support their families, which had been left unprotected by the internal armed conflict. CIF trained them in the manufacture of textiles. During 2000-2002, the institution SHARE also supported with textiles manufacture training, acquisition of looms, threads and market seeking. Legal status During 2003, after a 6 months period of intense organizational training developed by PRODEVER, the womens committee became an association of integral development composed of men and women, with legal status that facilitated its access to textiles marketing. The program strongly promoted associativity as a key element to improve life conditions; it also instilled the importance of active participation of men and women in all development activities of communities, and thus the association is composed of men and women. Men and family involvement in the organization The integration of men was achieved through the training received by PRODEVER about the importance of the participation of men and women in productive activities. This process of integration of men was not easy because the men had no patience to string together the threads or to select colors. Doa Mara Ana says: sometimes they wanted to break the threads; they thought it was the same as going to work to the plot. With the passage of time they learned to work like the women, men today handle foot-operated-looms better than women. It is important to note that the organization needed skilled labor for certain stages of the productive chain in which men were included. Men were very interested in joining the organization, because they realized that textiles production was a profitable activity; they desired to learn and develop these skills.

Business Management Skills and Empowerment of Achies Indigenous Women

Members families participated because help was needed to fill orders; they started to get organized and distributed tasks of the entire production chain between family members in order to timely deliver orders, and meet other farming and domestic work. It was proven in practice that money generated by sales was useful to cover families needs and if all the members of the family worked together, there will be higher incomes. Participation of women and training Women identify that at the beginning they had a lot of problems and weakness that constrained their participation, highlighting the following: Problems and weakness: fear to get organized due to the armed conflict, jealous husbands who would not give them permission to participate, leave the house and receive training, fear to express themselves, overload of productive activities, widows with direct responsibilities for productive activities, such as planting crops and reproductive activities. They also mentioned some aspects considered as strengths: their high interest in improving and refining the textile work, generating incomes to support their families, getting organized for the work, and seeking institutional support and training. All these aspects contributed to overcome problems and difficulties. The organization originated as a purely female organization, initially being trained in the manufacture of textiles as source of income. They sought institutional support in order to improve the techniques and obtained financial resources to buy raw materials. Women started to venture with their textiles in the local market with good acceptation and opportunity to obtain incomes for their families. Women of Chuaperol community gained expertise in textiles; however, textiles have always been a cultural activity for them performed during their free time. The activity is performed with blackstrap looms, generally in houses patios and corridors; with the support of institutions, such as CIF and PRODEVER they have specialized and improved colors techniques, designs and market-seeking. PRODEVER invested in training strengthening different aspects, such as administrative, packaging, quality and participation in fairs and business round tables, marketing and computer equipment together with the necessary support to design a new collection and a web page. With the training in the use of colors, new designs, financi al management and accounting, new opportunities opened for women, other family members encouraged them. Eventually, they discover that production could be improved by the use of footoperated-looms, which improved production but required stronger workforce as male labor. Men were interested because they saw the activity was profitable, it became a productive activity for the household, sharing tasks and responsibilities and equitable distribution of generated incomes. For Achie indigenous women training was essential as it allowed their empowerment developing skills and capacities to generate incomes. PRODEVER contributed with training in: communal organization, financial administration and accounting, capacity building for agricultural promoters, business management, gender, womens rights, self-esteem, and domestic violence, among others. This opened their minds, strengthened their textile skills, allow them to speak in public, lead the organization,

Learning Route: Tools to mainstream gender equity and womens empowerment in IFADs projects: the experience of Central America
seeking the common good of their families with incomes generated by textile production. Women say that training, field visits and technical assistance, turned them into women with rights and well developed capacities and skills that no one may remove from them and that will be useful for their entire life. Currently, both men and women are trained in new techniques, fashion design, at first considered only a womens activity and has become the main income source of Chuaperol community, led by one woman. FIDA- AGEXPORT have supported in fashion design to present a range of quality products to the market, including variety of designs and colors, both for national and international market. 4. What the results and achievements have been obtained in terms of management and womens empowerment? At personal level Women members of the organization Flor de Algodn developed certain skills and abilities for their empowerment, such as: financial and accounting administration, business management, organizational skills, among others. Women in decision-making positions and leading textile production at household level, which once was considered a cultural activity that didnt generate incomes and today is the main source of incomes for families in Flor de Algodn community. Women have perfected the art of textiles, producing today high quality products and have created a Control Quality Committee; supported by PRODEVER and AGEXPORT they have exported to Belgium and also to the United States with the support of Manos Mayas. Women are leading work at familiar and organizational level; this is reflected in the distribution of responsibilities to timely comply with requested orders. Women have created a quality control committee for textiles and it is worth emphasizing capacities obtained in resources administration and generation of assets, such as land. I bought land for my mother at 3,000 quetzals and there I cultivated milpa and beans that we are about to harvest, tells Juana Capriel, member of Flor de Algodn. Revista Mujeres del campo centroamericano, FIDA, RUTA With the revenues women have been able to acquire land for their families, important aspect considering that culturally women have no access to land. With the administration of resources in hands of women, children education is a priority, life conditions have improved. Indigenous women have used earnings and profits to improve health and housing conditions that were precarious. Textiles production has become the main income source for Achies indigenous families that belong to the association Flor de Algodn.

Business Management Skills and Empowerment of Achies Indigenous Women

Textile producers that lead this task are teaching the trade to their children, rescuing traditional values of Achi culture, as respect and love for the family, life and nature.

At familiar level Men and women are involved in textiles productive process, tasks and responsibilities are assigned in accordance with specific conditions. For example, men use back-strap looms that require greater physical effort and women are developing all their creativity in the use and combination of colors and designs. Families are united, with the participation of all members in the production of textiles; for this purpose, each member has 2 looms at home, producing the following products: table clothes, napkins, hammocks, handbags, scarves, gipiles, cushions and purses. Children join the activity on their free time after school, promoting generational replacement in textiles production. Jobs have been created for men and women in the community and in the organization, before men migrated to other departments in the country and women were in charge of poultry and basic grains. Members of Flor de Algodn have fixed income product of orders from some exporters such as Mujeres Mayas and Agexport, which is the main source of income to support their families. Men have been included in textiles production, which used to be an activity exclusively for women. Currently, production is based on family businesses with the participation of women, men, youngsters and children. As consequence of gender awareness promoted by PRODEVER, family businesses have been created with mutual support of family members and the organization. With the production of high quality table clothes, center pieces and napkins 100% cotton, this indigenous Mayan ethnic group has improved its life conditions. The development of womens skills and abilities in organizational, administrative and financial areas contributes to the administration of resources and to achieve success. Textile family businesses ensure its growth and consolidation as organization, demonstrating innovation capacity and knowledge required to overcome poverty without direct government dependence.

Success factors and difficulties in implementation The interest shown by women in training and improvement of their textiles techniques, as well as in other areas as accounting, business administration and put into practice these skills to generate income. PRODEVER, and other institutions, training support, as well as financial contributions to buy materials as threats, machines, but above all the confidence in women developing profitable businesses and improving the lives of their families.

Learning Route: Tools to mainstream gender equity and womens empowerment in IFADs projects: the experience of Central America
Challenges Build an office for the organization and a sales area for textiles, is an issue still to be solved; currently, we dont have this infrastructure to position ourselves better in the local market. Members of the organization think that they have not progress as expected in the search for more markets and clients to have a fixed market to ensure the income of all families involved in textile production. A remaining task is to increase the number of members to enter and compete in other markets and especially that more families in the community and in nearby areas create family business, in order to improve life conditions. Women in particular say that they expect children to be trained in gender, for them to have a different future based in equity, and not have to suffer the same discrimination for being poor and indigenous women. 5. Who are the relevant stakeholder (public and private, inside and outside the territory) in the development of womens empowerment? CIF, family integration center: training on textiles production. SHARE, support on back-strap loom. Rural Development Program PRODEVER: promoters training (agriculture, livestock and social), organizational strengthening, business management, seed capital to buy supplies, such as threats and sewing machines, fashion design, self-esteem, accounting and financial administration, human rights, gender, among others. Agexport: support on business administration, design, fashion trends, catalogues, etc. Association Manos Mayas: they buy textiles to be exported to the United States.

6. What tools and good practiced implemented by PRODEVER have contributed to these achievements? PRODEVER had teams sensitized on gender issues; said teams have one person for agriculture and other for social issues, one man and one woman, generally from the same Department and Municipality, fluently in Maya language. We were provided a program on gender sensitizing and gender training, we got together at some members house to listen to gender issues we watched films, plays, all these activities changed our mentality. Womens participation was always required at trainings, exchange visits; women had the opportunity of leaving their houses, visit other municipalities, receiving training at Cobn, all the activities were in Maya language. The most important action of PRODEVER was womens training, thanks to this, we now have knowledge to defend us in life, and we have knowledge on the following topics: health, business management, gender, self-esteem, leadership, food security, among others.

Business Management Skills and Empowerment of Achies Indigenous Women

7. What are the lessons learned?

Gender awareness and training provided by PRODEVER contributed to understand the importance of womens participation in the development of their families and communities, before it was considered that women could only perform activities in their houses. Field technicians emphasis and requirement of including women and men in all the activities promoted by PRODEVER, contributed to improve womens self-esteem, giving them the opportunity of taking part in activities once considered only for men. Gender approach transformed their vision of life, turning it into a vision of familiar development with equitable distribution of activities and responsibilities among all members. For women of Flor de Algodn the textile business is not only a way of earning money but also a possibility of working at home, involving all family members in the task and keeping the family united, which is of great value for Mayan Achies families.