The 11 September general elections in Guatemala were a breakthrough for women’s participation in the electoral process. Official figures issued by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal showed that of the 7.3 million citizens registered to vote, more than half, 3.7 million, were women. This is the first time in Guatemala's democratic history where women made up more than 50 percent of the voter register.

The participation of women also extended to Election Day itself. The country’s polling stations saw a sharp increase of female poll workers.

Additionally, three women ran for president, and three of the 10 presidential tickets had a female as candidate for vice president. 

Despite these notable improvements, there is still a sizeable gender gap in Guatemalan government.  Of the elected officials in the country, only 14.5 percent are women, while 85.5 percent are men. These percentages will remain largely unchanged, as the preliminary election results indicate that only seven of 333 municipal seats and only 14 of 158 Congressional seats will be occupied by women.

Guatemala has traditionally seen men at the helm. Yet, this landmark showing for women indicates a more equitable distribution of political power moving forward.

Political parties can embrace this progress by promoting the participation of women, nominating women to meaningful political positions and providing them the needed assistance to increase their chances of winning. Political parties should also keep in mind that the number of female voters is increasing and women in Guatemala are often eager to support female candidates who show an understanding for the issues important to them.

As Guatemala heads for the second round of elections on 6 November, one thing is certain: when the new president of Guatemala is sworn into office, for the first time in its history, Guatemala will have a female vice president. Both political parties running in the second round have women as vice presidential candidates.

Guatemalan women have shown they are ready and eager to be fully engaged in the political process. We must now see that stakeholders and the population at large take measures to increase access for these future female leaders.