Corali: CIPE’s Women’s Business Resource Center in Guatemala
In late 2021, CIPE and its partner the Red Nacional de Grupos Gestores (RNGG) launched a pilot Women’s Business Resource Center (“WBRC” or “Corali”) in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, with funding provided by the United States Government. The center addresses economic gender disparities and supports women’s inclusion in their local economies. Corali is a centralized, safe, physical space where women from all backgrounds can access vital resources and gain a sense of confidence and self-reliance that will help them fulfill their economic aspirations.
The center launched with four flagship programs: Emprende Mujer, Mujer Empresaria, Mujer Extraordinaria, and Conecta Mujer. The courses are designed to complement each other to support women entrepreneurs at each stage of their business, from nascent ideas to profitable enterprises. Given the success and high demand for the programs, CIPE worked to expand the center’s services to include mentorship programs, computer literacy courses, entrepreneurship fairs, individual technical advisory, psychological services, daycare provision, and more.
As of October 2024, over 550 women have enrolled in entrepreneurship support services, 520 women have participated in the “Know Your Rights” legal training to learn about their legal rights, Corali advisors have provided over 8,000 hours of personalized business advisory, more than 360 children have been cared for in Corali’s on-site daycare, 46 new businesses have been launched by women entrepreneurs, and 78 new jobs have been created.
Individual stories about the participants and courses provide another perspective into the impact Corali is already having in Quetzaltenango. Continue reading below to learn more about Corali’s participants, services, and methodologies.
Follow @CIPE_LAC on Twitter and Corali on Facebook and Instagram for regular updates.
Contacts
- For any questions or inquiries, please write to lac@cipe.org