Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Here in Guatemala, women are standing up
and demanding our rights.
One woman is using nutrition centers
in Santa Cruz la Laguna
to not only feed families, but also to build
women’s confidence in themselves.
An essential part of these programs
is instruction about the importance of civic participation.
"Our Vote is Gold"
I’m Micaela Ujpán Mendoza. I'm from San Juan la Laguna.
I have four nutrition centers
to help families grow up healthy.
But at the same time,
we are providing training for civic participation.
In the past, when I I interviewed women,
they would say, "I have never voted,"
"I don’t know how. I don’t know. " "For me - I don’t understand."
"I don’t know. I’d better not go." "I don’t have time."
Others said, "I have children. I have to care for my children."
There are many reasons for them not to vote.
So I started teaching them that,
as citizens, we have the right and an obligation to vote.
And we have need of the authorities, too.
Because if I have to go get a document
or I have to go ask a favor,
a signature, a seal from the authorities -
I have the right
because I chose them, right?
Why vote? Because we have to see the needs of our communities.
We need good roads.
We need schools.
We need health centers.
We need medical attention.
So that's why I trained the women:
"Please, men and women, let’s vote, let's vote!"
Our vote is gold,
right?
How do we vote?
We must know the person, the candidate.
Not to simply judge him, but to know his life story.
What has he done?
Is he very positive or very negative?
Is he able to do something in my community?
Because if we work and if we have
equal right to work
I think there would be no violence, it would not exist.
We seek peace.
We seek equality.
We seek a society that is...
tranquil, a healthy society
That's what I think of civic participation.
All Guatemalans 18 years and older
have the right to vote,
but only 30 percent exercise this right.
Through our political voices, we women,
and our indigenous and rural villages,
can begin to create a good future
for our families and communities.
♫ "We have a voice" ♫