Guatemala

The Republic of Guatemala is a former Spanish colony bordered by Mexico to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, and has a large indigenous population. Fertility rates are high; early union and [Page 471]childbearing are the norm. Divorce is rare. Gender roles have evolved as more women have entered the labor force. The Catholic Church's opposition to birth control has influenced government policies, although there is universal free access to contraception. Use of modern contraceptives is low, however. Many women lack skilled prenatal care and birth attendants. Educational attainment is low. Women's organizations founded during the 36-year civil war work for resolution and justice.

The fertility rate of 4.4 lifetime births per woman and the adolescent birthrate are among the highest in Central America. Fertility is highest in rural areas, among indigenous women, and for young women with no education. Mothers in the formal sector are eligible for 84 days of paid maternity leave. Many women work in the domestic sphere. The very low divorce rate may be due to a religious view of marriage as indissoluble.

More than half of Guatemalans are descended from Mayan ancestry, which attributes birth with cosmic significance and believe fertility is predetermined. Indigenous and mixed (indigenous and European) cultures hold traditional attitudes about gender roles and responsibilities that are evolving with women's increased labor force participation. Social norms encourage early unions and adolescent childbearing, and discourage single motherhood, although one in five families is female headed.

In 1994, the Guatemalan government reversed its support of its reproductive health platform of the International Conference on Population and Development. In 2001, the Social Development Law created the national Reproductive Health Program. A 2006 law stipulated universal and free access to contraception. The use of modern contraceptive methods (40 percent) is on the rise. Complications from abortion, which is illegal except to save a woman's life, is the second most common cause of death in women.

Compulsory schooling is for 6 years. Women lag in educational attainment; 55 percent of girls and 66 percent of boys are enrolled in secondary school.

Comadronas, traditional midwives, attend 59 percent of births, 85 percent in rural areas. Although the majority of women attend at least one prenatal care visit, about half of the least educated and indigenous women do not. Mayan beliefs about fertility and childbirth make them wary of Western medical practices and modern maternal health services. Maternal mortality is one of the highest in the region.

Guatemalan women formed several organizations during the 36-year civil war (1960–96), including prominent human rights organizations created by war widows and mothers of persons who disappeared or died. Rigoberta Menchú is a human rights activist and author who won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on behalf of native Guatemalans.