Transnational Center for Political, Legal Empowerment, and Advocacy (CEPLIT)
Nitza Segui met with the Press during our First Transnational Women's Summit in October, 2021
CEPLIT: Empowering Women and Girls for Transformative Leadership
CEPLIT drives political empowerment for women and girls through the Transnational Center for Political, Legal Empowerment, and Advocacy. By equipping women with the tools, knowledge, and skills to navigate and influence political and legal systems, CEPLIT fosters leadership that challenges inequities and builds pathways to inclusive and just societies.
A BIT OF HISTORY: How does the CEPLIT become a reality?
At the Second Transnational Women's Summit, we conducted training sessions to strengthen the advocacy capacity of participating organizations. These sessions empowered participants to drive change across local communities, national platforms, regional spaces, and social networks.
On the final day of the Summit, we engaged in a transformative dialogue with female decision-makers to address the root causes of climate disasters and the violence faced by women defenders due to extractive economies in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. These discussions highlighted the urgent need to challenge harmful systems threatening the environment and women's lives.
Building on this momentum, Latinas en Poder established the Transnational Center for Political and Legal Empowerment and Advocacy, leading research and developing strategic empowerment tools. These tools are designed to analyze, advocate for, and mobilize support for women's human rights, their communities and territories, and our livelihoods.
Representation Matters: The Urgent Need for Women's Political Inclusion
While women in Guatemala have achieved the right to vote, we remain severely underrepresented in decision-making processes, especially at high levels of leadership and within parliamentary structures. This disparity is even more pronounced for Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and rural women, whose voices are systematically excluded.
Your support is crucial to advocate for and secure increased representation for women in all spheres of power.
During the recent elections in Guatemala, Congresswoman Sonia Gutierrez, representing the Winaq Movement, was the only Indigenous woman elected to Congress. Her success starkly contrasts the absence of Afro-descendant women in Congress—a sobering reminder of how far we must go.
Representation matters. Listen to her powerful story as she overcame systemic barriers, discrimination, and immense obstacles to become the sole Indigenous woman in Congress. Her journey is a testament to the resilience of women in Guatemala and a clear call to action: we must dismantle the barriers that exclude women, particularly Indigenous and Afro-descendant women, from decision-making roles.