Guatemalan Indigenous Women Reclaiming Identity, Heritage And Rights

The Asociación Femenina para el Desarrollo de Sacatepéquez/Women’s Association for the Development of Sacatepéquez (AFEDES) coordinates a range of diverse projects aimed at the physical, economic and political autonomy of Indigenous women and their families. They promote food sovereignty, political education, and building human capacities, including training in Indigenous weaving as part of Indigenous traditional knowledge. In this framework, AFEDES is demanding that the Guatemalan government recognize their right to protect the collective ancestral intellectual property on Mayan weaving designs and clothing. Photo credit: Thousand Currents