a group of Indigenous Guatemalan women clap at a workshop

MUIXIL

MUIXIL is a grassroots women's group that promotes the political, economic, and cultural rights of Ixil Mayan and other Indigenous women in Guatemala.

MUIXIL works in partnership with MADRE to address Indigenous women’s needs, build their skills, exercise their human rights, and grow as community leaders.

MUIXIL works to strengthen Indigenous communities in several areas:

  • MUIXIL operates a weaving cooperative to help women raise income, preserve heritage, and organize together

  • The group fights hunger in El Quiché, a community struggling with poverty

  • MUIXIL provides training and support for women to run for political office and participate fully in the political system

Why we work in Guatemala

MUIXIL works to end a legacy of violence in Guatemala and help Indigenous women and girls thrive.

Indigenous Ixil women living in the Quiché region of Guatemala endured 36 years of civil war. They were targeted with genocide, and many lost their homes and loved ones. Women and girls still carry the burdens and trauma of those days.

three Indigenous Guatemalan women stand on a bridge over looking a river

Resist in Body

With MADRE, MUIXIL, brings Indigenous women together for healing workshops, where they process the trauma of gender violence together and get trained to fight for their rights and protect their communities.

View the campaign
an older Indigenous woman smiles at the camera holding a chicken

Repurposing Power

MADRE’s sustained support for MUIXIL allows Indigenous communities to build collective power, seek reparation for persecution and theft of resources and land, and work toward a more just and equal society.

View the campaign

MUIXIL was founded in 2003 to improve the lives of Indigenous Guatemalan women and girls by bringing them together for income- and skills-building projects and mutual support. Working together, they are able to recover from the horror of genocide, improve their material conditions, as well as advocate for their rights.

Weaving the future

a Indigenous Guatemalan mother sits using a sewing machine with an infant strapped to her back

“We say in Guatemala, we are fighting, but we are not the only ones. There are many Indigenous women in other countries, as well, and at the global level, that are fighting for the integral development of women, and for peace and justice.”

Ana Ceto Chàvez Coordinator, MUIXIL
an image cutout of Ana Ceto Chavez

MUIXIL operates a women’s weaving collective, allowing Ixil women to share traditional weaving practices with younger generations of women, strengthen the Ixil culture and community, and raise money to sustain their families.

We provide grants to MUIXIL to purchase looms and the raw materials women need to produce and sell traditional weavings.

MADRE offers training to women in the weaving collective on voting and running in local elections, so they take a bigger role in public life.

YOUR SUPPORT IN ACTION

STEPPING UP FOR INDIGENOUS WOMEN’S RIGHTS

MADRE provides legal advocacy to defend Indigenous women from systemic violence and demand justice. We make sure women’s voices are heard in justice processes, including in trials to hold perpetrators accountable for human rights abuses against Indigenous Peoples.

SUPPORT OUR WORK

Social Shareables

Download and share on social media, don’t forget to tag us! @madrespeaks

Stay Current and Connected

Sign up for our latest news and emails.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

"*" indicates required fields