Women workers in Guatemala’s garment sector often face limited access to formal financial services, career advancement and higher-paying job opportunities. They also risk sexual harassment and gender-based violence. Through a strategic partnership between VF's Worker Rights and Worker and Community Development (WCD) teams and the VF Foundation, RISE (Reimagining Industry to Support Equality) is working to bring workers, factories, industry associations, and women’s organizations together to advance women.

Understanding the Challenge

Guatemala's textile industry is one of the country's most important economic engines, yet it remains a challenging industry for women. Patriarchal norms are deeply entrenched, and women—particularly those from Indigenous communities—face widespread discrimination, physical and verbal abuse, and sexual harassment. In a needs assessment conducted with support from the VF Foundation, 72% of respondents reported experiencing or witnessing violence in the workplace.

From Proven Approach to Pilot

In 2023, the VF Foundation provided a $250,000 grant to bring RISE Respect —a globally tested workplace program focused on the prevention and remediation of gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH)—to Guatemala for the first time. Built on the experience and data driven work of four organizations focused on low-income workers in global garment supply chains --  BSR's HERproject, Gap Inc.'s P.A.C.E., CARE International, and Better Work- RISE has supported over one million workers through its workplace programs across Bangladesh, India, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

With VF Foundation funding, RISE partnered with Pro Mujer to conduct an on-the-ground needs assessment, adapt and translate its curriculum to address gender-based violence and harassment, into Spanish, and prepare to pilot the program in four garment factories reaching approximately 3,000 workers. The approach RISE uses fosters dialogue between workers and managers, strengthens grievance mechanisms, and runs awareness campaigns to connect workers with support services in their communities.

In addition to working with the VF Foundation, RISE partners with VF’s WCD and worker rights programs across VF’s global supply chain, with the aim to provide worker training on financial literacy, life skills, and gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH).

Scaling Across Borders

The VF Foundation pilot in Guatemala proved the model could work in a new region. In 2025, the VF Foundation invested an additional $150,000 to help RISE explore a regional approach, expanding into El Salvador and Honduras and integrating a new dimension: financial health. The needs assessment had revealed that GBVH and financial insecurity are deeply interconnected. For instance, women trapped in cycles of debt are more vulnerable to violence and less able to report it. The second grant supports the adaptation of a blended program model, and stakeholder engagement across all three countries. In addition to this expansion, VF and the VF Foundation continue to implement RISE programs in key sourcing countries throughout Asia.

Powering What's Possible

This three-year, $400,000 partnership reflects the VF Foundation's commitment to community-to-community systems change—investing in pilot projects designed to prove scalability and create lasting impact. What began as a needs assessment in two Guatemalan factories is now on a path to becoming a regional platform for worker well-being across Central America.

By 2025, RISE had reached more than 1 million workers across 837 workplaces in ten countries, with women representing 68% of all participants. The  VF Foundation's investment helped seed a critical chapter in that growth.

As of April 2026, VF’s WCD and worker rights program in partnership with RISE helped train 1,500 workers on financial literacy and GBVH mitigation.

For women garment workers navigating normalized violence and economic insecurity, this partnership represents something powerful: a commitment not just to acknowledge the problem, but to build the systems that solve it.