Since 2021, Friendship Bridge’s Bridge to Success program has been addressing the problem of the “missing middle” among women entrepreneurs in Guatemala: Those who have outgrown the group lending (Trust Bank) model, but are still deemed too risky to receive individual loans from traditional banks. Women who are ready to grow beyond subsistence to scalable businesses find a way with individual loans, targeted training, market access, and financial support offered through Bridge to Success.
Soon, the program will support even more women through its Mujer Avanza (Women Advance) pilot program, thanks to a grant from Together Women Rise.
The 12-month Mujer Avanza pilot will allow Friendship Bridge staff to train and mentor women with established businesses who are potential Bridge to Success clients. The pilot will allow them to develop their businesses so they are ready to enroll in Bridge to Success.
Barriers to women’s financial inclusion
In Guatemala, only 11% of rural Indigenous women—who Friendship Bridge serves—have access to formal credit. More than 60% of women lack legal ownership of assets that can be used as collateral when applying for a loan. As a result, women are often forced to rely on male relatives to co-sign loans, undermining their financial independence and decision-making power. This systemic exclusion perpetuates cycles of dependency and prevents women from investing in and expanding their businesses.
One condition of entering the Bridge to Success program is the need for a loan guarantor or a guarantee, who will assume financial responsibility in case the client is unable to pay back the loan. Mujer Avanza clients will have the opportunity to invest their loans in fixed assets that can serve as collateral for future loans.
Friendship Bridge’s work aligns closely with Together Women Rise’s mission to support grassroots solutions that elevate women and girls globally. “Like Together Women Rise, we believe women are not passive beneficiaries, but powerful changemakers,” says Rodriguez. “Our programs are designed not only to meet women where they are, but to walk alongside them as they shape their own futures.”
About Together Women Rise:
Together Women Rise is a powerful community of women and allies dedicated to global gender equality. It has hundreds of local chapters across the U.S. where members come together to learn about and advocate for gender equality issues, give grants to organizations that empower women and girls in low-income communities in the Global South, and build community to forge meaningful connections with each other and with women around the world. Learn more about Together Women Rise.
About Friendship Bridge’s Bridge to Success program:
Bridge to Success serves women entrepreneurs in rural Guatemala who are highly motivated, have a business model poised for growth, and have the potential to create jobs in their communities. Clients are provided with intensive business training and individual loans (rather than group loans) to expand their businesses. Friendship Bridge ended 2025 with 560 clients participating in the Bridge to Success program. Research shows that clients with more than 1 year in the program increased their sales by more than 60% and their profits by more than 50%. Learn more about Bridge to Success.
