article_snippet.sent: Adelma Cifuentes case is dramatic, but in Guatemala, where nearly 10 out of every 100,000 women are killed, Cifuentes' case's hardly unusual.
article_snippet.sent: A 2012 Small Arms Survey says gender-based violence is at epidemic levels in Guatemala and the country ranks third in the killings of women worldwide.
article_snippet.sent: According to the United Nations, two women are killed there every day.
article_snippet.sent: Perhaps one of the biggest challenges facing women in Guatemala is the country's deeply rooted patriarchal society.
article_snippet.sent: Although the situation for girls and women in Guatemala is alarming, there are signs the culture of discrimination may be slowly changing.  
article_snippet.sent: The taboo topic of gender-based violence is also being acknowledged and recognized in a popular program targeting one of Guatemala's most vulnerable groups, indigenous Mayan girls.  
article_snippet.sent: The Guatemalan government is also moving in the right direction to address the problem of violence against women.
article_snippet.sent: In 2012, The Guatemalan government established a joint task force for crimes against women, making The Guatemalan government easier for women to access justice by making sure victims receive the assistance victims need.
article_snippet.sent: Pehaps the most immediate and effective help is coming from International nongovernmental organizations, which are on the front lines of the fight against gender-based discrimination in Guatemala.
article_snippet.sent: While there is tempered optimism and hope for change, the problem of gender-based violence in Guatemala is one that needs international attention and immediate action.
highlights_snippet.sent: Gender-based  violence is at epidemic levels in Guatemala .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: According to the United Nations, two women are killed in Guatemala every day .
  