COMUCAP, or the Coordinadora de Mujeres Campesinas de La Paz, is a cooperative located in La Paz, Honduras. Before COMUCAP was founded in 2002, men owned the land and made most of the business and production decisions for the region, though women did much of the work. The women got tired of depending on their fathers and husbands for economic survival, and struggled for equal opportunities to succeed.
With the encouragement of a German NGO, one of COMUCAP's founder began a radio program for women called "Siempre Vivas." In her words, the problem at that time was that, as women, "We were worthless. We only existed to take orders. We were trapped within four walls." Her audience consisted of many women who didn't own land and who were sometimes victims of domestic violence in addition to grinding poverty. The women realized that their problem was economic, and began to look for ways to earn their own money for themselves and their families.
Since most of the women had worked on coffee farms as laborers, they decided to start a coffee farm. Their initial farming venture proved unsuccessful in growing coffee, but fortuitous in producing aloe vera, wine, and honey. With the savings from the sale of these products the women purchased land better suited for coffee production. The association is now well organized and exports high-quality coffee. They own one hundred hectares, as well as a wet mill, drying patios, and a compost production plant.
Thanks to the success of the association, many of the women have been able to purchase their own land, perpetuating economic stability, freedom, and breaking a cycle of abuse.
