I didn’t start as an expert. I started with a discomfort I didn’t know how to explain.
I am 20 years old, a university student, a feminist, and Indigenous. And like many other young women in Guatemala, I grew up between two worlds: the one we live in offline and the one that increasingly shapes how we learn, connect, and express ourselves.
I remember an experience that marked me. I was in school when a friend became a victim of the leak of intimate images. What came next was even more painful: instead of support, she received judgment. Instead of accompaniment, silence. I didn’t know what to do at the time, but that feeling of helplessness stayed with me.
Over time, I understood that it was not an isolated case. Many young people in Guatemala have been exposed to uncomfortable or harmful content online. We use the internet to learn, entertain ourselves, and communicate, but we don’t always have the tools to do so safely, nor do we know where to turn when something goes wrong.
My journey began by listening.
I found spaces where other young women shared their experiences of digital violence. There, I understood that what happens on the internet doesn’t stay on the internet. It affects confidence, mental health, and how we see ourselves. I also understood that silence does not protect.
Today, my purpose is clear: to promote the digital rights of children and adolescents, and to help make the digital environment safer, more inclusive, and more just.
Because access is not enough.
In Guatemala, there are still significant gaps: in connectivity, in digital skills, and above all, in participation. Many decisions about technology are made without listening to young people, without considering our experiences, needs, and concerns.
We don’t want to be just users of technology. We want to be part of the decisions.
I have seen how the digital environment can amplify inequalities, especially for girls, adolescents, young people, and Indigenous women. But I have also seen its potential when it is used with awareness and support.
That is why I facilitate spaces with other young women where we talk about digital safety, risks, and rights. We talk about privacy, consent, and protection, but also about participation and how to use technology to transform our realities.
We need structures that protect us.
We need more responsible platforms, digital education from an early age, and public policies that respond to real risks. We also need young voices to be heard, because many still feel that they are not taken into account in decisions about technology.
More and more young people are questioning, cross-checking information, and developing critical thinking. I myself started without technical knowledge, and today I facilitate spaces and support other young women.
I also came to understand that digital safety is not just an individual responsibility. It is collective. It is built through education, platform design, and institutional decisions.
My motivation remains the same, that no girl or young woman has to face an experience of digital violence alone.
Today, I have tools, I have a voice, and I know I am not alone.
There are many young women who are participating, proposing, and pushing for change. We are showing that it is indeed possible to build a safer and more inclusive digital environment.
An environment where we don’t have to choose between being connected and being protected.
That is the future we want. And it is one we are already beginning to build.
About the Joint SDG Fund’s Youth Corner:
The Youth Corner is a platform hosted by the Joint SDG Fund to amplify youth voices, celebrate their impact, and foster meaningful engagement in sustainable development. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the Joint SDG Fund, the United Nations, or its partners. View the extended version of the website policies here.
