Discrimination and injustice are major causes of poverty worldwide. And ensuring that women and men benefit equally from our support is a vital part of what we do.

Gender inequality remains prevalent within Mesoamerica societies as throughout many regions of the world. Within conditions of abject poverty whereby half of the population of Central America live on less than $2 per day, women in particular are hard-hit by a deepening economic crisis. Women continue to be discriminated against in the home, school and workplace, and are victims of violence at all levels.

Gender inequality is about power – with women having less power over their own lives and their environment than men. Promotion of gender equality entails recognizing the need for women to have more control over their own lives (empowerment) and to participate in all aspects of society. Basic to achieving gender equality is to work with women and men on understanding the underlying causes of gender inequality such as social conditioning and to explore together means to promote equitable power relations between men and women on all fronts.

What’s Horizons Doing?

Since the early 1990’s, Horizons and our partners have prioritized the promotion of women’s rights and gender equality as an essential component of attaining equitable social transformation in the region.  Currently, as part of our regional project on gender equality, we are working with recognized experts from Mesoamerica in providing capacity building training — at the local, national and regional levels — to all of our partners. Peer exchanges and the documentation of experiences are key activities in this process.

The support provided by Horizons helps our partners analyze the ways in which gender inequality is manifested and provides them with greater tools and capacities to better serve the communities where they live and work.