VZCZCXYZ0017
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGT #0328 0732247
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 132247Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4975
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 4768

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000328 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR USAID FOR LAC/CAM KSIENKIEWICZ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWMN KCRM PHUM KJUS KDEM PGOV SOCI GT
SUBJECT: GUATEMALAN WOMEN'S GROUPS PRESENT 100-DAY PLAN 
 
REF: GUATEMALA 313 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  Women's groups congregated in front of the 
National Palace, Congress, and the Supreme Court on March 5 
to present to the government a 100-day plan for women.  First 
Lady Sandra Torres de Colom pledged her support to advance 
their agenda and promised to deliver the plan to President 
Colom.  End Summary. 
 
The 100-Day Plan 
---------------- 
¶2. (U) On March 5, women's groups delivered to the GOG a 
100-day plan for women in commemoration of International 
Women's Day (March 8).  Among its 19 demands, the groups 
called upon the Executive to revise the national policy on 
women in consultation with women's organizations, define the 
communication and coordination strategy of the Presidential 
Secretariat for Women (SEPREM), guarantee transparency in the 
 
SIPDIS 
election of the Secretariat, incorporate the principle of 
equality as a cornerstone of its policies, promote the 
participation of women in rural development councils, and 
develop a program to give women better access to housing, 
subsidies, and micro-credit.  They also urged the executive, 
legislative, and judicial branches to coordinate actions to 
prevent domestic violence and femicide. 
 
¶3. (U) First Lady Sandra Torres de Colom, who received the 
plan and promised to deliver it to President Colom, assured 
them that the Executive is open to dialogue and will consult 
women's organizations on actions affecting them.  She noted 
that many of the actions requested were actions already 
contemplated by the Executive.  She pledged to establish a 
mechanism of dialogue and coordination, and to convene a 
meeting each month with representatives of women's groups, 
with the aim of evaluating progress on the plan.  She also 
committed to creating the "Coalition of First Ladies and 
Women Leaders of Latin America on Women and AIDS," and 
announced that the Secretariat of Social Work of the Office 
of the First Lady will establish a program to monitor actions 
of the Ministry of Health to assist persons living with 
HIV/AIDS. 
 
Reaction to 100-Day Plan 
------------------------ 
¶4. (SBU) Rosalinda Hernandez, member of the Board of 
Directors of the NGO feminist group "La Cuerda" (The Cord) 
and editor of its newspaper, told poloff that the 19 demands 
represent the maturing of the priorities of women's groups 
since the signing of the Peace Accords.  She noted that while 
her organization does not view the First Lady as a feminist, 
it regards her as someone with good will who will champion 
their demands.  With Torres agreeing to take on their agenda, 
Hernandez expressed optimism about advancing the women's 
agenda during the Colom administration.  She asserted that 
women's groups could not have had the open, receptive 
discussions with previous First Ladies that they have had 
with Torres.  Cecilia Alvarez, consultant for NGO "Grupo 
Guatemalteco de Mujeres" (Guatemalan Group of Women), valued, 
in particular, Torres' proposed monthly meetings with women's 
organizations.  She noted that Torres agreed to meet with 
women's groups on June 16, the day the 100-day plan lapses, 
to discuss progress, but welcomed regular meetings prior to 
that date, which Alvarez interpreted as a demonstration of 
good will. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Presidential Secretariat for Women (SEPREM) Gabriela 
Nunez was generally supportive of the plan.  She said that 
while SEPREM does not support revision of the existing 
national policy on women, which it drafted last year in 
consultation with several women's groups and reached 
consensus, it would seek to improve its implementation. 
Qconsensus, it would seek to improve its implementation. 
Nunez agreed on the need to strengthen communication between 
SEPREM and women's groups.  However, she noted that the 
coalition of 18 local women's groups that presented the 
demands lacked clear understanding of the division of roles 
and limits on power among the Legislative, Executive, and 
civil society. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶6. (SBU) Despite Guatemala's numerous challenges, women's 
groups seem optimistic about advancing their agenda with the 
support of the First Lady.  In a country with a culture of 
violence, where women have traditionally been marginalized 
and many domestically abused, Torres' public support and 
voice for the women's agenda promise to provide the necessary 
momentum to promote gender equality and elevate the role of 
women in society. 
Derham