Document Type
Brief
Publication Date
2025
Abstract
Since 2004, Abriendo Oportunidades® (Opening Opportunities, AO) has emerged as a gender transformative social program to support Indigenous girls and young women in Guatemala’s post-war context. Following an evidence-based, community-anchored approach, AO began as a program and has evolved into a social movement. AO has continuously demonstrated its impact in reducing girls’ exposure to gender-based violence and pioneered alternative education through utilizing mentors as tutors. Over time, AO has successfully reached more than 25,000 Indigenous girls and adolescents across 500+ rural Guatemala communities and built a pathway of professional opportunities for the young women who lead the program. AO is a living example of Population Council’s stewardship in Guatemala and the Mesoamerica region, as this work has left a meaningful footprint in Belize, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Mexico. This brief is part of the Abriendo Oportunidades® Legacy Series, celebrating and highlighting 20 years of impactful program implementation.
Recommended Citation
Population Council. 2025. "The social life of the Abriendo Oportunidades® Program in Guatemala: Three decades of enabling community and civic spaces for Indigenous girls and women," Abriendo Oportunidades® Legacy Series, Brief no. 1. Guatemala City: Population Council.
Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
DOI
10.31899/sbsr2025.1020
Language
English
Project
Abriendo Oportunidades (“Opening Opportunities”); GIRL Center