Relocating to another country is a momentous choice. For the women and children of Central America, as with all refugees, this migration is no longer a choice but rather a necessity for survival. Since the late 20th century, turbulent political and socioeconomic conditions in the Northern Triangle- comprising El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala- have led to a rise in sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Under a system that subordinates and violates women, many view leaving the region as the sole path to a better life for themselves and their families.

Refugees and asylum seekers from the Northern Triangle made up 72% of the total displaced population from Central America in 2020, reaching over 500,000 people by the end of the year with the majority identifying as female (IOM, 2021). While violence is a main concern for all refugees originating from Northern Triangle countries, it cannot be denied that the women face distinct stressors that ultimately drive their migration. Across the region, structural inequality restricts female bodily autonomy and domestic violence is prevalent (IM-Defenders, n.d.). Forced gang recruitment, extortion, kidnapping, rape, and sexual assault are also constant risks and any show of resistance could lead to death.

The rates of femicide in El Salvador and Honduras are among the highest in the world with victims generally under the age of 31 (Gonnella-Platts et al., 2021). Non-state and armed criminal groups, primarily gangs (Maras) and cartels, are the main offenders of SGBV. Weakened and decentralized governments allow these groups to remain in a position of unchallenged supremacy. As a result, 98% of femicides go unpunished (United Nations, 2018).

In Guatemala, indigenous and rural women are subjected to layered discrimination, perpetuated by a grim history of state sanctioned female repression (Gonnella-Platts et al., 2021). Guatemala also has no laws criminalizing sexual assault, underscoring female injustice within the Northern Triangle.

A Central American mother and son headed to a border patrol station in Texas: Vic Hinterlang, Shutterstock, May 2021 (Gonnella-Platts et al)

While a source of salvation, the migration process itself poses dangers. The fear of SGBV carries on near the Mexican and United States borders where women are vulnerable to sexual violence and human trafficking. Many migrant women take contraceptives to avoid pregnancy from rape by criminal groups, locals, or their smugglers (Diaz, 2021). Contraceptives, however, are not fully effective against sexually transmitted diseases and other health risks. Apprehensive of authorities, the women do not seek treatment or report cases thus the actual number of victims is unknown. Upon their arrival at the border, the possibility of being detained or deported removes any sense of security and they are often left uninformed of their legal rights.

The following quotes were compiled by the Institute for Women in Migration in Mexico City and are from women who have made the arduous journey, empowered by their noble and selfless intentions:

“I’m strong because I have someone I have to fight for and I want to do it.”

-Eugenia, Guatemalan, 19 years old.

“I want to get to the United States, work and support my mother, and help my nephew be what I couldn’t be." -

-Eulalia, Salvadoran, 19 years old.

“I’m determined and I know that my migrating is for the good of my son.”

-Maria, Guatemalan, 26 years old.

“I want to have my own house and I want my daughter to study and be as educated as she can, something that I couldn’t do. I never want her to have to make the decision to leave Honduras like me.”

-Cecilia, Honduran, 28 years old.

Uprooting oneself and settling in a foreign land in search of a new life clearly takes an immense amount of strength. Migrant women from northern Central America endure unspeakable horrors to find jobs and provide a future for their children. Nations who have the means to provide resources, such as the United States, should welcome them with open arms, increase safe and legal channels of migration, and prosecute acts of SGBV. We must protect the rights migrant women are entitled to as asylum seekers, pioneers, mothers, and, above all, human beings.

References

Diaz, G. G. K. (2022, February 1). Women Migrants in Transit and Detention in Mexico. Migrationpolicy.Org. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/women-migrants-transit-and-detention-mexico

Diaz, G. G. K. (2016). Women Fleeing Violence in Central America: Research Contributions for Understanding the Current Refugee Crisis. In The Institute for Women in Migration, AC. https://imumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Women-Fleeing-Violence-in-Central-America-ingles.pdf

Gonnella-Platts, N., Villatoro, J., & Collins, L. (2021). No justice: Gender-Based violence and migration in central america. In Pathways to Justice: Gender-Based Violence and The Rule of Law. Woodrow Wilson Center. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/no-justice-gender-based-violence-and-migration-central-america

International Organization for Migration’s Global Migration Data Analysis Centre. (2021, October 7). Migration data in Central America. Migration Data Portal. https://www.migrationdataportal.org/regional-data-overview/migration-data-central-america

Mesoamerican Initiative of Women Human Rights Defenders (IM-Defenders), Violence against Women Human Rights Defenders in Mesoamerica 2012-2014 Report, coordinated by Marusia López y Verónica Vidal, México, http://www.awid.org/sites/default/files/ atoms/files/286224690-violence-against-whrds-in-mesoamerica-2012-2014-report.pdf

United Nations. (2018, September 27). No Woman Should Die Because of Her Gender, Deputy Secretary-General Says at Event to Launch Latin America Regional Anti-Femicide Programme [Press release]. https://press.un.org/en/2018/dsgsm1224.doc.htm