SPEAKERS:

Iduvina Hernandez - Director of SEDEM
Rosemary Burnett - former Director of Amnesty International Scotland

INFORMATION:

Iduvina Hernandez is a Guatemalan journalist and human rights defender working to challenge the extraordinary and horrific levels of violence and murder against women and young people in Guatemala.
Since the year 2000, more than 3000 Guatemalan women have been brutally murdered. Often their bodies show signs of torture and mutilation. The Guatemalan authorities have systematically failed to respond to this crisis and fewer than 2% of such cases result in conviction. The UN Special Rapporteur for Violence Against Women has stated that, "the absence of a rule of law fosters a range of violent acts against women, including rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, and eventually, murder."
Iduvina Hernandez works to challenge the impunity that is endemic in Guatemala and her struggle aims to combat violence, particularly that directed towards women and young people. Her work to hold the Guatemalan authorities and security forces to account has at times resulted in her receiving threats and intimidation. GSN have invited Iduvina to share her experiences with groups in the UK and would be very pleased if you would join us to hear Iduvina's story about the struggle to combat violence and impunity in Guatemala.
Rosemary Burnett, former director of Amnesty International Scotland, will also talk about her experiences working to support and protect human rights defenders in Guatemala. She will explain how you can support human rights work in Guatemala, including information on how to get involved with accompaniment work.