Morena Perez Joachin
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Born in Guatemala City, Morena Perez Joachin initially worked in television before becoming a photographer and photojournalist at the age of 18.
Morena’s photographs often focus on women and she is particularly interested in capturing images of indigenous towns in her birth country. She has exhibited in Guatemala, Spain and Chile, and has worked with publications including the German Press Agency dpa.
To be a woman photographer in Guatemala is still a challenge. You have to work a lot to show off your portfolio and have the same opportunities as a male photographer, like travelling alone and safely.”
Women by Women is celebrating the inspiring stories of women living in the countries we work in – and the female photographers who are capturing these stories from behind the lens.
Learn more about how ActionAid is changing the lives of women and girls living in poverty, for good.
Rebeca Lane is a trailblazing Guatemalan hip-hop artist who uses her music to promote feminism and fight for social justice.
Rebeca has rapped about getting justice for the victims of Guatemala’s violent 36-year civil war and for having the right to love whoever you want. She is a survivor of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of a former partner, a topic she addresses in her most famous song: Mujer Lunar, or ‘Lunar Woman’, which calls for respect for women's bodies.
Photographing Rebeca on tour in Guatemala for ActionAid’s Women by Women campaign was a poignant experience for Morena.
“Rebeca showed this feminist power. I really felt it when I saw all the girls at the concert screaming the words to her songs,” she says.
“I felt very inspired by Rebeca and I am proud to have met her in a professional setting.
“It is not easy for her to do this kind of work in a country like Guatemala. I feel very proud of the music that she makes.”
Morena Perez Joachin
More than half of people in Guatemala live below the poverty line and illiteracy, infant mortality and malnutrition are among the highest in the Americas. Life expectancy is among the lowest.
Women in Guatemala represent 51.2% of the total population of roughly 15.8 million. Levels of violence against women in Guatemala is extremely high and the country has the third highest rate of femicide (the intentional killing of a woman or girl because of her gender) in the world.
ActionAid helps women fight violence in their daily lives by running workshops which teach them about the laws that are in place to protect them and how to report acts of violence safely.
We also teach women business and entrepreneurial skills like beekeeping, to help them earn an independent income and provide for their families.
Sources: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34978330; https://lac.unwomen.org/en/donde-estamos/guatemala; https://www.insightcrime.org/news/analysis/why-does-latin-america-have-the-world-s-highest-female-murder-rates/
Built with Shorthand