Guatemala is failing to prevent and address systemic sexual violence, resulting in forced pregnancies among girls under 14.

Between 2018 and 2024, nearly 15,000 girls in Guatemala ages 14 and under gave birth and became mothers, often against their will.

In a new report, Human Rights Watch documents the numerous barriers that girls who are survivors of sexual violence face accessing essential health care, education, social security, and justice.

Access to health services for girls in Guatemala is severely limited for a variety of reasons including long travel distances, shortages of trained personnel, and even stereotypes. Additionally, girls from rural and Indigenous communities, who are disproportionately affected by inequalities, face even larger barriers to access services.

Meanwhile, lack of support from schools and government, stigma, family pressure, and violence contribute to high dropout rates for pregnant girls and girls who are mothers, especially in rural communities. Many are pressured to drop out of school permanently and are often sent to live with their assailants.

A government program meant to assist pregnant girls and mothers in accessing social security is also not working as it should, due to poor coverage and restrictive eligibility requirements. Last year, 1,953 girls ages 10 to 14 gave birth in Guatemala. Yet only 129 girls were enrolled in the program.

There is a path to justice for survivors of sexual violence in Guatemala, but even this is fraught with obstacles. Courts often dismiss cases without resolution and reparations are rarely sufficient to address harms.

“Without meaningful reforms,” said Cristina Quijano Carrasco, women’s rights researcher at HRW, “girls in Guatemala will continue to face shocking levels of sexual violence and insurmountable barriers to realizing their rights.”

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