Invisible Travelers – Women Migrants in the Central American Region Ana Silvia Monzón San Salvador, July 19, 2007

Why the Gender Perspective to Look at Migration? Because migration has different impacts on women and men; Because more women are migrating; Because lives of women who leave or women who remain in their countries of origin are changing as a result of migration.

¿Why do Women Migrate? Patriarchal mandate Political reasons (wars, exile) Employment and economic motives Family and/or Community Stigma To escape from violence Because they exercise autonomy

Various Aspects of One Reality Multiple/diverse migration Migrants and human rights Citizenship Impact on the lives of women

Diverse/Multiple Migration Internal, temporary, and permanent Migration across borders Trans-Migration International Migration

Women Crossing Borders

Internal, Temporary and Permanent Migration Historically a demand for female labor has existed to do housework in the homes of employers. Women as agricultural workers for export crops since the 19th Century (coffee, sugar cane, cotton, new crops). More women than men migrate from rural areas to urban areas: Guatemala 57% women, 43% men; El Salvador 54% women, 46% men; Honduras 54% women, 46% men.

Internal, Temporary, and Permanent Migration Girls and young women coming from poor homes in rural areas; A high percentage of indigenous populations (Guatemala, Chiapas); Low education level or illiteracy, many of them only speak one language; Little knowledge of urban environments; Work as houseworkers, agricultural workers, and in assembly plants.

Migration Across Borders Between countries with shared borders:  Nicaragua/Costa Rica: 49% of Nicaraguan migrants are women.  Guatemala/Mexico: 90% of houseworkers in Tapachula are Guatemalans.  Guatemala/Belize

Guatemalans in the South of Mexico

Nicaraguan Migrants

Trans-Migration Flows of persons who enter a territory with the aim of reaching a third country:  Guatemala and Mexico as the route to reach the United States.

International Migration: Feminization of Migration Quantitative aspect: More women are migrating. Qualitative aspect: Ways, forms, and motives have become more diverse.

Women Crossing Borders

Facing Danger….

International Migration A growing exclusion from the labor market (structural adjustment measures/ globalization); A demand for cheap labor; Global care networks (women as caretakers and houseworkers in homes in the United States); Perpetuating gender inequality / separation of the public and private sphere.

United States: The Primary Country of Destination Migration flows have significantly increased since the 80s and even more in the 90s, paradoxically after Peace Accords had been signed (El Salvador and Guatemala); Changes in ethnic and gender profile during the 80-90s; Approximately 360,000 migrant Guatemalan women in the United States in 2004.

Migration of Women: Quantitative Trends

El Salvador: Migration to the US Graph No. 2 El Salvador: Migration to the United States by Gender (%) Women Men

Remittances Sent by Women… Monetary Social (more women) Intra- and international Individual and collective (less women) According to IOM in Guatemala remittances were sent in 2004 by: 299,185 women (53% to urban areas and 47% to rural areas)

Migrant Women and Human Rights In the country of origin / on the journey / in the country of destination; Domestic violence and abuse force them to migrate; Migrant smuggling and trafficking in girls and women; Detention and deportation; Sexual abuse; Racism / labor discrimination; Human rights protection instruments.

Female Asylum Seekers in the United States due to Intra-Family Violence, NationalityNumber of Women Seeking Asylum Mexican131 Guatemalan104 Salvadoran78 Honduran70 Other473 TOTAL856 Source: Morales T., Hilda (2005)

Abuse during the Journey

An Environment of Rejection, Racism, Discrimination

Citizenship / Women Migrants An environment of hostility, more restrictive laws since the 90s have limited the rights of undocumented women migrants (health care services, education, transportation); However, a strong trend exists of more women gaining citizenship and more cases of regularization of the situation of women.

Impacts of Migration on the Lives of Women Changes in partner and family relations, women’s expectations; Transnational families who travel back and forth between two or more countries; Psycho-social impact: Feelings of being abandoned/stress; Contradictory changes regarding the notion of rights; More responsibility.

Impacts… More autonomy and participation at different levels; Women migrants have become involved in entrepreneurial, political, and social spheres in the United States.

Women Demonstrating in the United States

Guatemalan Women in the United States Norma Torres Julia Gabriel

Female Workers in the US

Women Demonstrating in Favor of Migrants Guatemala, 2006

Maxims on Migration Ana Ardón I To migrate is to accept being an orphan. II Tell me in which country you are, and I will tell you who did not want you... IIIWhen opportunities are far away, exodus rules. IVThe “American Dream” is the Latin American nightmare. VTo be exiled is the punishment of executioners for the oppressed... VIInternal exile is the resource of survivors.