violence

Cynthia Orchard says election scare tactics may be losing their power

Between two and three million Salvadorans (nearly a third of the total population) live in the United States, with some 229,000 residing there legally under Temporary Protected Status. Many send money back to their families in El Salvador, and in a country with very low wages, few job opportunities and rising prices, many Salvadorans rely on these remittances to meet their basic living expenses.

GSN 'Women and Violence' Speaker Tour

Women throughout the Americas are calling for an end to violence against women in the region, even as levels of violence continue to rise. In Guatemala alone, more than 3,000 women have been murdered since 2000. Family members, witnesses and leaders of women’s rights organizations continue to work under threat to halt the violence and seek justice for the victims.

In spite of the staggering numbers, the Guatemalan government has done next to nothing to stem the violence. The low priority the government gives the issue of femicide is reflected in the scant resources it allocates to investigations and the almost complete absence of prosecution. There have been rulings in only 20 femicide cases since 2000. The state has also failed in its efforts to prevent these murders, and few cases of domestic violence or sexual assault are taken seriously.