Celebrating Women’s Day in Central America
Central American News
In Brief
International Women’s Day was celebrated across Central America on 8 March 2023. They commemorated the day through Celebrations and Protests. All countries called for a stop to violence against women. In Guatemala, women called for justice in femicide cases. They also demonstrated for their labor rights to be respected. In Honduras, more than 200 women marched through Third Avenue demanding security and justice from the Government. The Forum of Women for Life stated that "women are at constant risk of being murdered." Later that day, President Siomara Castro signed an Executive agreement ordering the free use of the Emergency Contraceptive Pill (PAE) in the country. While hundreds of Salvadoran women marched in San Salvador also demanding justice for femicide cases and the disappearance of women. On 6 March, women activists urged the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to condemn EL Salvador’s abortion ban in a case they will be ruling on later this month.
In Costa Rica, feminist groups and their allies took to the streets of San José to condemn violence against women, trans, and non-binary people. They also sought to defend the technical standard for therapeutic abortion after plans for it to be repealed by Chaves’ administration were leaked in a draft decree. Joining the protest were Nicaraguan migrant women denouncing the violation of their rights by the Ortega Regime. In commemoration, they inaugurated a mural for the freedom of political prisoners. At least 170 Nicaraguan feminists have been forcibly displaced and 60 have been exiled. Meanwhile in Belize, an event was held to celebrate the women of the Belize Defense Force (BDF). Earlier this month the Government of Belize announce the removal of the General Sales Tax (GST) from women’s sanitary products.
The Central American News Team
Seeking volunteers
Want to join a growing team of Central Americans passionate about Central America? We are now seeking a Belize news curator (2h per week). Please send over your CV and a few paragraphs of why you want to join the project to centralamericannews@gmail.com by 17 March 2023.
Headlines
Migration
📰 Family Detentions: After shutting down the Trump-era migrant family detention practices at the U.S.-Mexico border two years ago, the Biden administration is considering reinstating the same immigration policy ahead of the May 11th expiration. The immigration order known as “Title 42” was designed to deter irregular immigration.
📰 Exploited Children: An investigation by the New York Times exposed the grueling living and working conditions of Central American migrant children living in the U.S. In response, the International Mayan League issued a statement calling for an immediate need to address clear violations of child labor laws and the exploitation of Indigenous migrant children.
📰 Abandoned Migrants: Mexican authorities found more than 340 migrants from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Ecuador in an abandoned truck trailer in Veracruz, of whom 103 were unaccompanied minors.
Guatemala
📰Women’s Day: On 8 March, hundreds of women from different sectors and ages marched through Sixth Avenue in Guatemala City to commemorate International Women's Day. Among the slogans was a call to stop the wave of violence against women and to respect their labor rights. There were also calls for justice for the victims of femicide and the lack of justice in their cases. One of the entities mostly questioned is the Public Ministry, which annually dismisses 39% of the complaints filed for violence against women.
📰Medical care: Virginia Laparra is a former anti-corruption prosecutor who was accused of allegedly abusing her authority by denouncing a judge. She served a year in prison and in recent months, her lawyers have reported that Laparra's access to medical care has been limited.
Costa Rica
📰Women’s March: On International Women’s Day, feminist groups and allies demonstrated on the streets of San José. They protested violence against women, trans and non-binary Costa Ricans. Also, defending the technical standard for therapeutic abortion. Plans to repeal it by Chaves’ administration were leaked in a draft decree.
📰Free Speech: Journalist Marlon Mora Jiménez was found guilty of two counts of defamation for statements made against 2018 former presidential candidate Juan Diego Castro Fernández. Mora, a past director of the Canal Quince UCR (media channel for the University of Costa Rica) plans to appeal. A freedom of speech program at UCR questioned the court’s ruling.
📰Public Employment Law: Legislative deputies had hoped to postpone the implementation of the recently passed Public Employment Law. They failed to do so in a vote ahead of the law’s official activation date. The legislative assembly rejected the postponement in a 35 to 12 vote.
El Salvador
📰Women’s Rights: In honor of International Women’s Day, hundreds of Salvadoran women marched in San Salvador demanding justice for cases of femicide and disappeared women. Earlier this week on March 6, women activists urged the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to condemn El Salvador’s abortion ban in a case they will be ruling on later this month.
📰Gangs: In an indictment against 13 Salvadoran MS-13 members in New York, the U.S. Department of Justice considered it proven that the members secretly negotiated with President Nayib Bukele’s government. In these negotiations, they agreed to support Bukele and keep homicides down until March 2022 in exchange for protection.
Nicaragua
📰Women’s March: On International Women’s Day, Nicaraguan migrant women marched in San José, Costa Rica denouncing the violations of their rights. They also inaugurated a mural for the freedom of political prisoners. At least 170 Nicaraguan feminists have been forcibly displaced since 2018, and 60 have been exiled.
📰Crimes against humanity: The UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (GHREN) reported on 2 March, that the government continues to commit serious systematic violations considered crimes against humanity since 2018. The report indicated that members of the National Police and pro-government armed groups “committed acts of physical and psychological torture, including sexual and gender-based violence” during the detention of opponents.
📰 Health: The Ministry of Health (MINSA) updated the 2022 Health Map. For the first time, revealing to PAHO low percentages of vaccination against covid-19 in the South Caribbean Coast. Accordingly, 66.8% of inhabitants have received the first dose, but only 57% are fully vaccinated. It is the lowest in the country that claims to have 92% immunization.
Honduras
📰Women’s Day: On Wednesday, more than 200 women marched through Third Avenue to commemorate International Women's Day. They demanded security and justice from the Government. In the same day, President Xiomara Castro signed an executive agreement ordering the free use of the Emergency Contraceptive Pill (PAE) throughout the country.
📰Migration: Migrant deportation rates decreased by 90% during the first two months of 2023. A total of 3,666 migrants have been registered as repatriated. They are being sent back from Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and the U.S.
📰Violence: At least 57 kids and young adults were reported dead in January due to violence. Most of the deaths registered during the first month of 2023 occurred in the regions of Francisco Morazan, Cortes, and Yoro. High death rates in the country are often linked to organized crime and impunity.
Belize
📰Tax-Free Sanitary Products: The Government of Belize will remove the 12.5% General Sales Tax (GST) from women’s sanitary products on 1 April. Thea Garcia-Ramirez, President of the National Women’s Commission, stated that the products will become more affordable and accessible to women.
📰Women’s Day: The Special Envoy for women and Children, Rossana Briceño, was present at an event celebrating the women of the Belize Defense Force. In the past, the BDF faced heavy scrutiny on allegations of sexual assault against its women. She also condemned the recent alleged acts of violence against women by men in positions of authority.
📰Joint Unions Increment: Teachers and public officers will receive annual increments as of 1 April. This comes after almost 3 years since their increments were frozen. Previously, they also took a 10% salary cut amid the COVID-19 pandemic to sustain the country’s economy.
Central American Art
Carmen Beatriz González Sandoval is a Guatemalan artist, teacher, cultural manager and muralist who has more than 30 years of experience in the world of plastic arts. González calls herself "the friendly teacher" because she has also dedicated a large part of her life to teaching art to children, youth and adults.
Good Reads
📌El Salvador: The women who keep Los Blancos Beach afloat. (Revista Factum)
Good News
✨Indigenous Courage: Indigenous Cabécar leader Doris Ríos Ríos was awarded an International Women of Courage award in Washington, DC by U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Ríos is an Indigenous land defender in Costa Rica’s southeast region and has risked her life to defend Cabécar land.
✨Gabo Award: The Gabo Foundation in Colombia announced Honduran journalist Jennifer Alejandra Ávila Reyes as the winner of the 2023 Gabo Award for Excellence.
✨Ceramica Las Marías: Guatemalan Leonora Monroy supports women with her venture Cerámica Las Marías.
Central American Voices
✍️ Solito: ‘Migrant children survive the horror’: Javier Zamora details his 3,000-mile journey to the U.S. in award-winning ‘Solito’ (NBC News)
Events
📅Women in Art: The institute of Creative Arts in Belize will host Womxn in Art 2023 from 16 to 18 March, at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts, under the theme: "Womxn's Work: Balance & Equity for Wellness."
📅El Sueño de Alicia: The film festival "El Sueño de Alicia" will take place from 8 to 31 March. The collective of Honduran women filmmakers created the film exhibition with themes related to the fight against gender violence.
“Voy a marchar con mi bandera, en nombre de mis compañeras que siguen en Nicaragua y que no pueden marchar”
- María Teresa Blandón, intelectual y feminista en el destierro
History
In 1948, Legislative Decree 528, of the Monetary Species Law of Guatemala, was approved. It established that each coin had a symbol engraved representing the Guatemalan identity and culture. The 25-cent coin was chosen to engrave the face of a Mayan woman. Concepción Ramírez Mendoza, known as Doña Chonita, was then chosen to become the face of the Guatemalan 25-cent coin.
At the time, a commission was appointed to go to Santiago Atitlán, Sololá, to find the most beautiful women in the municipality. In their search they found 17-year-old Concepción Ramírez. Doña Chonita was photographed a month later in front of the municipality. She was chosen as the perfect face of the Guatemalan woman, and appeared with a headdress on her head, known as a tocoyal.
The Team
Editorial team: Mindrid Tesucum and Vanessa Lobo-Gradiz
Coordinating team: Karla Saenz Porras, Kayla Alamilla, Shahrazad Encinias
Social media: Abigail Galvez-Aguirre
News curators: Pablo Arauz (Costa Rica), Jody García (Guatemala), Kirsten Cintigo (El Salvador), Luna Cordóba (Nicaragua), Rodrigo Medina and Joan Collins (Panama), Allison Aguilar (Honduras), Oliver Martínez López (Migration)
Film curator: Robert Zuniga