b'DOING: WOMENS JUSTICE INITIATIVEWJI takes a gentle approach with their community-based workshops, starting with lessons on self-esteem before moving to reproductive rights toward the endWJI PROGRAMS cant do anything about their own past, but they want to change WJIs work with rural Indigenous women is critical. The group hasfuture generations. Theyre changing their attitudes, they feel noticed that after WJI works in a community, the women theresafer, more secure, and have more self-esteem, Raquec observes. tend to report violence more often: a sure sign that their programsThey know more about their rights, so they feel more empowered are effectively educating women about their legal rights.to protect them.The organizations diverse programs provide a wide range ofTo provide legal support to those women who may not be able to education and support. The one they usually implement firstcommit to a three-month program, WJIs Legal Services Program when entering a new community is the Womens Rights Educationis active (in both Spanish and the Indigenous Maya-Kaqchikel Program, a three-month initiative delivering general knowledgelanguage) in five municipalities. Prosecutors and paralegals visit about their basic rights, such as owning property. Women oftenthe communities once a month to answer any legal questions. WJI dont know that they are allowed to own property. If they inheritfinds that most attendees are victims and survivors of gender-based property, they usually dont know the legal process that it requires.violence, but the program also helps with land and family issues. Often, its simply taken away from them, Raquec explains. We talk about land rights, property rights, sexual and reproductiveProgram attendees report feeling more empowered, supported rights, and that they have the right to get married and to decideand less alone. When women seek government help for acts of who they marry. The program also builds self-esteem and includesviolence, they are often abandoned during the process, which workshops in sewing and other skills to support womens financialcan be very lengthy. But when WJI takes on their case, cases are independence by helping them create something they can sell.typically resolved much faster than those handled by the govern-WJI has found that the key to the effectiveness of their program- ment. Such women often become examples, Raquec explains. ming is a gentle approach. We enter very softly into theThey often refer WJI to women they know. They become community. We start by talking about self-esteem and how tocommunity leaders in these issues.love yourself. Then we hold the workshops. Almost at the endTo address the common issue of early marriages in Indigenous of the program, we talk about sexual and reproductive rights,girls, WJI started the Adolescent Girls Program. Open to girls aged says Raquec. We take that up at the end so that women dont10 to 17, they educate them on gender-based violence, puberty stop going, and also so their husbands dont say, Dont go thereand sexual and reproductive rights. Many girls have their first because theyre teaching you bad things. boyfriend and decide they are the love of their lives. They move in The Womens Rights Education Program has been quite effectivewith them, but theyre not ready because they dont know anything in starting to address intergenerational trauma. Women thatabout violence against women. Many of them end up suffering come to our workshops learn that violence isnt normal. Womenviolence in their home, says Raquec. 40Spring/Summer 2023'