Pro Mujer and BID Lab celebrate the closing of the project “Credit, Preventive Health, and Digital Skills to Empower Women Microentrepreneurs,” an initiative that combined innovation, technology, and community action to improve Guatemalan women’s access to preventive health services and digital tools.
During its implementation, the project benefited women in eleven departments of the country—Chimaltenango, Sololá, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Jalapa, Quetzaltenango, Quiché, Suchitepéquez, and Totonicapán—facilitating access to health services, strengthening local capacities, and promoting a sustainable, community- and gender-focused model of health care.
Throughout this collaboration, 171 community health workers were trained and certified in the departments of Chimaltenango, Guatemala, Sacatepéquez, and Sololá. Today, they play an essential role in raising awareness about disease prevention, promoting healthy habits, and guiding community members in seeking appropriate treatment. The workers participated in a training program that included first aid, nutrition, ancestral medicine, sexual and maternal health, weight management, screenings, sample collection, and blood pressure monitoring, and they also received equipment to provide basic services in communities historically excluded from the health system.
The digital innovation component was key to bringing health information and services closer to people in rural areas and those facing language barriers. Two preventive health chatbots were developed in Spanish and in the Mayan languages Kaqchikel and K’iche’, and a telemedicine service was launched, providing remote care, guidance, and diagnoses to more than 80 people and facilitating referrals to health centers when needed. Thanks to these tools and the work of the workers, more than 2,500 people accessed medical diagnoses or treatments.
In addition, the project promoted the development of digital skills among beneficiaries, strengthening their autonomy, access to information, and ability to navigate technological environments—key factors for their well-being and active participation in the economic and social life of their communities.
“This model shows that technology and community action can work together to transform women’s health and well-being. The workers are the heart of change: leaders who multiply knowledge, trust, and care,” said Denia del Valle, Pro Mujer Guatemala Country Representative.
Carmen Castro Bladón, Senior Officer for Ecosystem Building & Acceleration (EBA) at BID Lab, highlighted the value of the initiative as a model that can be replicated in other countries in the region: “Projects like this show us that innovation with purpose is possible. Investing in preventive health and women’s digital skills not only improves their well-being, but also strengthens local economies and the social fabric.”
During the closing event, held at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Guatemala City on November 5, representatives from BID Lab, Pro Mujer, partner institutions, and community leaders shared the results and lessons learned from this alliance, which set a precedent for strengthening primary health care through inclusive, sustainable, and women-centered models.
The conclusion of this project marks a new milestone in the partnership between Pro Mujer and BID Lab, reaffirming their shared commitment to advancing gender equality, access to health care, and digital inclusion in Latin America. This initiative is part of Pro Mujer’s new global strategy, “Building the Next 35 Years Together,” which seeks to harness the potential of technology and strategic partnerships to multiply impact and reach 5 million women by 2030, driving a region where all women can reach their full potential.
