Advocacy Program
The aim of the Advocacy Program is to advocate for the implementation of the Law on Universal and Equitable Access to Family Planning Services (Decree 87-2005) to ensure that the Guatemalan people receive adequate sexual and reproductive health education and family planning services.
The objectives of the Advocacy Program are:
1. To educate and empower Guatemalans about their sexual and reproductive rights.
2. To conduct and participate in advocacy activities that target the government of Guatemala to ensure compliance with its obligations regarding reproductive and sexual health.
3. To train both health providers and teachers in reproductive health and sex education so they may address these issues appropriately.
The WINGS Advocacy Program has already established a track record of success including active participation in a National Campaign for Sexuality Education in partnership with Incide Joven and other organizations.
In conjunction with participation in the campaign, WINGS has taken other actions through the media, including airing radio spots and distributing posters and leaflets throughout Guatemala to promote sex education.
In addition, the Advocacy Program performs a series of workshops for youth peer educators in topics such as Political Advocacy, Sexual and Reproductive Rights, and Sexual Education.
The Advocacy Program has also created and maintained a series of strategic alliances with numerous NGOs working for reproductive health and for the welfare of women, including:
-Guatemalan Association of Medical Women
-Alliance of Indigenous Women for Reproductive Health
-Institution of National Health and Women Development
-Organization of Women Living Earth
-Network of Women for Peace Building (REMUPAZ) and Incide Joven
During 2009, the Advocacy Program participated in the training of female community leaders in four departments of Guatemala - Sololá, Quetzaltenango, Coban and Quiché - to plan and implement advocacy campaigns at local levels to improve the quality of reproductive health services that indigenous women receive in their departments. These trainings were very successful because they helped local governments to better assess the needs of their communities and also brought media to the need for improved access to reproductive health education and family planning services in Guatemala.