Hand Woven Ivory Table Runner with Images of Birds - Mountain Birds

Artisan Organization: Consorcio

Country: Central America

"We are Consorcio, a cooperative made up of 11 indigenous women's organizations integrated in 2010 to help transform the problem suffered by women in Guatemala and, particularly, Tz’utujil women in Santiago Atitlán: violence against women. Likewise, we coordinate efforts at the local and departmental levels with other actors to seek alternative solutions to the different adverse situations that women experience. We focus on promoting and strengthening the exercise of their individual and collective rights as women, both in the urban area and in rural areas, according to the statutes of the Consortium in 2010.

"According to the conditions of poverty and domestic violence in which women live, we prioritize maintaining actions that provide empowerment and economic independence to women. Therefore, among its first actions a productive project of weaving and dyeing with natural dyes was implemented, as well as the construction of a training center in the ChukMuk community.

"In 2014, the Consortium had the support of the Oxlajuj Tz'ikin Indigenous Peoples Support Mechanism to strengthen processes and alliances with civil society organizations, especially with indigenous women's organizations in Santiago Atitl√°n and other municipalities of the department of Solol√°. We developed actions focused on the process of promoting and strengthening the political capacities and economic initiative of Tz'utujil women.

"Since 2015, we have had a 2016-2025 strategic plan, a 2016-2020 business plan and a 2016-2025 sustainability plan. These instruments were developed in a participatory manner with women members of the Consortium, and in 2016 we began the implementation of their institutional plans." "