Guna Women Leaders Protecting Children

Fundación Unidos por la Niñez – Panamá

Fundación Unidos por la Niñez carried out a training process with Guna women in the community of Arco Iris, in Pedregal, with the goal of strengthening their leadership and providing tools to prevent child sexual abuse.

The participants, who migrated from the Guna Yala comarca in search of better opportunities and currently face conditions of social and economic vulnerability, took part in three training sessions on sexual education, child sexual abuse prevention, hygiene, and self-care.

The process was carried out through participatory, visual, and culturally adapted methodologies, including practical activities on body awareness, identifying personal boundaries, contraceptive methods, and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. One of the main achievements was the increase in understanding of these topics, reflected both in post-test results and in the participants’ greater confidence when sharing what they learned.

In addition to strengthening capacities, the initiative created a space of trust for the exchange of experiences and reflection on self-care and protection practices. An intercultural approach was also key, as the content was adapted to language barriers within the group, considering that approximately half of the participants did not speak Spanish fluently.

As part of the holistic well-being component, personal hygiene kits were distributed, contributing not only to learning but also to improving participants’ living conditions. This process not only strengthened knowledge, but also advanced the community leadership of these women, who now have tools to share this information with their families and communities.

This intervention marks the beginning of sustained work with the migrant Guna population in the community of Arco Iris.