A blue bus drives along a dirt road surrounded by dense vegetation. People are sitting on the roof of the bus, and a cloud of dust is visible behind it.

Photo: Aron Lindblom

Guatemala

Guatemala is located in Latin America, south of Mexico, and is bordered by Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras. It is the northernmost country in the Central American subregion and roughly one-quarter the size of Sweden. The population is estimated at approximately 18 million, with a large proportion of young people.

Over half of Guatemala's population lives in poverty, and the country is marked by significant economic and social inequality. Poverty disproportionately affects girls, women, and Indigenous peoples. Half of all children in Guatemala suffer from chronic malnutrition; in some rural municipalities, that figure reaches 80 percent.

Teenage pregnancy rates in Guatemala are very high, and abortion is prohibited under almost all circumstances. There is an exception if the pregnant person's life is in danger, but practical barriers remain substantial because many people live far from hospitals. A significant number of births take place outside hospital settings, making Indigenous traditional midwives crucial, particularly in rural areas.

Sex education in Guatemala is inadequate and actively opposed by conservative forces. Civil society organizations provide information and education, but many struggle to secure funding. Human rights defenders and civil society groups face threats and pressure, set against the backdrop of a fragile democracy.

Since 2025 RFSU has been collaborating with Guatemalan organizations that promote the right to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and strengthen the participation of marginalized groups in society.

RFSU's partners in Guatemala

Asociación Civil Colectivo para la Participación de la Infancia y Juventud (COPIJ)

COPIJ operates in the Jalapa region of central Guatemala, east of the capital, Guatemala City. COPIJ works to strengthen the participation and influence of youth and women while creating pathways out of poverty. RFSU supports COPIJ to improve access to SRHR information and education for youth and women in Jalapa.

Asociación de Comadronas Tradicionales Huehuetecas Luna

Luna works in the Huehuetenango region of northern Guatemala—a vast, heavily populated area stretching to the Mexican border with a high Indigenous population. Luna organizes traditional Mayan midwives to strengthen their capacity, knowledge, and societal recognition. RFSU enables Luna to continue offering sex education and contraceptives in Huehuetenango, while supporting efforts to strengthen maternal healthcare based on the needs, knowledge, and experiences of traditional midwives.

Asociación de Desarrollo de la Mujer K´aK´a Na´oj (Ademkan)

Ademkan operates in the Sololá region of western Guatemala. It is a feminist organization working to promote rights and political participation for youth, women, and Indigenous peoples. RFSU supports Ademkan to improve access to sex education and contraceptives in Sololá and to build the capacity of traditional Indigenous midwives.

La Instancia por la Salud y el Desarrollo de las Mujeres (ISDM)

ISDM operates nationally, regionally, and locally in Guatemala to promote SRHR for youth and women. RFSU supports ISDM in fostering youth political participation—with a particular focus on SRHR—and increasing access to evidence-based sex education. RFSU also contributes to ISDM's work monitoring government actions on SRHR, including contraceptive supply, healthcare provision, transparency, and accountability.