Reflections on International Women’s Day

Rudy Giron: Antigua Guatemala &emdash; Smiling Maya Woman at the Park

The best way to celebrate International Women’s Day is to work everyday towards the same rights, education, salaries, opportunities, and respect for everyone, regardless of gender. March 8 should be a day to ponder how much we have advanced in the previous 364 days before, don’t you agree?

The Faces of the Hard-working Guatemalan Women

Believe it or not, La Antigua Guatemala is NOT the REAL Guatemala. Well, let me rephrase that, downtown Antigua Guatemala is not the real Guatemala because the minute you step in any of the villages around our beloved colonial town, you are in the REAL Guatemala. Today we continue our series of street portraits with … Read more

Guatemalan Catholic Women

You talkin’ to me? No. Honest I am not talking to you… I believe that Antigua Guatemala and the surrounding villages are among the top catholic communities in Guatemala, a country largely divided between all sort of protestant denominations, evangelicals we call them here, catholic and Mayan religions. So it comes as no surprise to … Read more

International Women’s Day in Guatemala

I share with you what my friend and colleague Willy expressed about the International Women’s Day: Willy: ¿Hoy es día de la mujer? ¿Otra vez? ¡Todos los días son días de la mujer! Los hombres nos rendimos ante ustedes a diario, libramos guerras, perdemos amigos, hacemos locuras por ustedes las mujeres… Todos los días son … Read more

We’re Women of Maize

As I said before, it is impossible to think of the Guatemalan, Mexican and Mesoamerican diet without maize. From the Popul Vuh (Popol Wuj in modern spelling), the Mayan equivalent of the Bible, which states that humans were literally created from maize, to Miguel Ángel Asturias‘ novel Hombres de maíz (Men of Maize) which is … Read more

Aide-de-camp Models Dressed As Indigenous Women

Can anybody help me understand why a country with a +55% population of indigenous Maya hires European-looking models to dress as Maya indigenous women? Please help me comprehend what’s wrong with our indigenous women that Guatemala’s Tourism Board hires light-skin ladinas and white women to represent our women? I need help understanding what’s wrong with … Read more

Stop Violence Against Women in Guatemala

Many Guatemalans might regard thrillers and serial killers films as light and interested pieces of fiction because we are confronted with ultra violent headlines in newspapers like Nuestro Diario and Al Día, sensationalist rags that, like mirrors, show us every day how savage we can be. Ironically, Nuestro Diario boasts the largest circulation of any … Read more

Stop Violence Against Women the World Over

Se empieza cediendo con las palabras. —Esperanza, mi novia We begin to yield with words. —Esperanza, my girlfriend Psychology 101: we begin the desensitization process the moment we incorporate into our daily vocabulary words and comments, jokes or phrases that belittle women; even if the remarks or phrases seemed insignificant. The same applies for the … Read more

Guatemalan Indigenous Women

Here’s the follow-up photo to yesterday’s rear view mirror vista. In this picture, you can appreciate the different cortes worn by the indigenous women of Guatemala. These cortes are not the usual indigenous dresses you find around La Antigua Guatemala. I am not sure where they are from exactly, but for sure, the different styles … Read more