CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN THROUGHOUT THE LIFE CYCLE, 2020

Preliminary considerations Progress and challenges The Continuum of Violence: Intrafamily y domestic violence Sexual Violence Disappearances Femicide Human Trafficking Other vulnerabilities Violence against Women Continuum of violence PRELIMINARY Violence against women is "any act or conduct, based This refers to an inertia and continuity of violence in the on gender, which causes death or physical, sexual or lives of women, in which there seems to be a continuum psychological harm or suffering to women, whether in in their histories where the norm and the constant is CONSIDERATIONS the public or the private sphere." violence directed toward them, always and everywhere. Concepts and analytical approach Source: Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication Source: UNDP and USAID, 2016. of Violence against Women. (Belém do Pará), 1994.

Life Cycle Approach

• Involuntary migration • School dropout • Involuntary return • Involuntary migration Context - • Food requirements • Involuntary migration • Involuntary displacement • Quality of employment • Absenteeism or neglect • Quality of employment • Remittances • Remittances based • Adolescent pregnancy • Monoparental households

• Impunity for VAW incidents • Institutional trust: Police, Judges, Health, Educ. Institutional • Care through dedicated helplines • Impunity for VAW incidents Response • VAW protection mechanisms • Satisfaction with VAW response services Related Factors • Care through dedicated helplines • VAW protection mechanisms

• Abuse of girls and adolescents • Obstetric violence • Threats • Sexual Abuse Increased • Sexual abuse of girls • Abuse of girls and adolescents • Trafficking • Intrafamily/domestic violence frequency • Domestic violence • Sexual Abuse • Suicide (femicidal suicide) • Threats of VAW • Threats • Intrafamily/domestic violence • Extortion • Suicide (femicidal suicide) • Trafficking • Intimate partner or ex-partner violence • Rape • Extortion incidents • Injury • Femicide or violent death • Rape • Abuse against

1 3 5 8 16 24 32 48 64 80 Age in years Early life-cycle, early childhood or early-learning Youth Adult Older women

THE OBJECTIVE OF CITIZEN THE ISSUE MUST TAKE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IS SECURITY IS TO PROTECT PRIORITY ON THE SYSTEMIC AND IS IN VIOLATION OPTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES GOVERNMENTAL POLICY OF THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS The Continuum of Violence FOR PEOPLE AGENDA Against Women: a citizen security and human rights issue

INCLUDE THE POSITION VIOLENCE CHARACTERIZATION OF AGAINST WOMEN AS A SPECIFICS OF VIOLENCE LIFELONG CONTINUUM AGAINST WOMEN IN THE QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS Why is it urgent to generate 1. It is the outcome of a system that is 2. Exposure to a series of specific risks and 3. There is urgent need for robust evidence of Violence based on unequal power relations other forms of discrimination and social gender- sensitive indicators, in order between men and women (SDG 5). exclusion leads to high and multiple to characterize this situation, and against Women? vulnerability. design effectivepublic policies.

PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES Legal framework, information management and victimization Legal Framework Timeline 1984 1990 1995 1996 1997 2000 Costa Rica. Approved Convention on Costa Rica. Law Promoting Costa Rica. • Inter-American Costa Rica. Contra la violencia doméstica Honduras. Law against Domestic Honduras. Law for equal opportunities the Elimination of All Forms of women's social equality Convention on the Prevention, El Salvador. Law against intrafamily Violence. for Women Discrimination against Women. Punishment and Eradication of violence. Dominican Republic. Code of Belize. • Criminal Code (Amendment) Act. Violence against Women. Guatemala. Law for the Prevention, Criminal Procedure, and the Code • Domestic Violence Act. Chapter 178. • Against Sexual Harassment in Punishment and Eradication of Family for the Protection of Children and Employment and Education. Violence. Adolescents.

2003 2005 2007 2008 2009 2010 Dominican Republic. • Safe houses Guatemala. Amendment to Costa Rica. Penalizing the Belize. Protection Against Sexual Guatemala. Ley against the Sexual Dominican Republic. • New Constitution created for women, children and Article 194 of the Criminal Code violence against women. Harassment Act. Violence, Exploitation and Human of the Republic, condemns intrafamily and adolescents who are victims of on human trafficking. Belize. Domestic Violence Act. Costa Rica. Creation of the National Trafficking. gender-based violence. intrafamily or domestic violence. System for the attention and prevention • New Constitution of the Republic, • Law on illegal migrant smuggling of violence against women and domestic condemns intrafamily and gender-based and Human Trafficking violence. violence. Belize. Protection against sexual Guatemala. Law against Femicide and harassment Act. Chapter 107. Other Forms of Violence against Women.

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 El Salvador. Special Comprehensive Costa Rica. Law to promote Guatemala. • Specialized Courts El Salvador. Special Law against Human Guatemala. Specialized El Salvador. Created Specialized Courts Law for a Life Free from Violence for public policies for for Femicide and other forms of Trafficking. Jurisdictional Courts authority for a Life Free from Violence and Women. comprehensive combat against violence against women in Guatemala. Specialized Courts for expanded. Discrimination for Women. Dominican Republic. Law for human trafficking. Escuintla and Izabal. Femicide and other forms of violence Honduras. Reform Organic budget Costa Rica. Law 9.406 on Improper access facilitating to justice for Honduras. Law against Human • Specialized Jurisdictional Courts against women in Quiché and Petén. law to include gender in general relations. women victims of violence. Trafficking. authority expanded in Honduras. • Reform to Penal Code article budget provisions. Honduras. Reform to Public Ministry Law Guatemala. Specialized Courts Guatemala. 118-A on the offense of femicide. article 44-A creating Violent Deaths of for Femicide and other forms of Honduras. Law typifying • Second National Plan against Violence Women and Feminicide Investigation Unit. violence against women in Alta femicide against women 2014-2022. Verapaz and Huehuetenango.

2017 2018 2019 2020 2016-2020 2021 El Salvador. Statutory prohibition El Salvador. Created the Dominican Republic. Costa Rica. Law 9.877 Law Against Street Guatemala. Special Courts for Costa Rica. Approved at second of Child Marriage. National Office for Women, Gender Equality and Equity Sexual Harassment (life and travel free of Femicide and other forms of discussion of file 21.793 to amend Law Belize. National Gender- based Children, Adolescents, LGBTI 2020– 2030 (PLANEG III). sexual harassment). violence against women in the rest Penalizing VAW. Violence Plan of Action. Population and other groups in Belize. Cybercrime Act. of the departments. conditions of vulnerability at the El Salvador. Creation of Second Courts FGR. of Instruction in San Salvador and Cojutepeque. Honduras. New 2020 Criminal Code of Honduras becomes effective.

1. Notable progress made in obtaining 2. El Salvador, Guatemala and Costa 3. Countries have progressed in typifying Progress in generating data statistical data and basic disaggregation Rica have comprehensive laws to the crime of femicide/feminicide, in the for measuring and exposing such as sex and age, although there are address violence against women, region, Belize is the only country that has not challenges in having gender-based prevention, sanction and eradication. taken this step. violence against women disaggregated variables. Brechas de información importantes para medir y visibilizar la violencia contra las mujeres a lo largo del ciclo de vida

1. The definitions of 2. Data statistical 3. Limited gathering 4. Data are 5. The IT systems, 6. Low level of 7. Lack of 8. Restrictions to the the offenses differ in data within and of gender-based is non-existent or limited for where they exist, run integration relevant data traceability leads to the each country, between variables, limiting certain offenses and/or into the additional issue between the for assessing unavailability of precise a particular challenge countries are not understanding of the exhibits inconsistencies, of confidential data criminal justice institution indicators on impunity in measuring comparable. phenomena and how observations “Not available” about persons under institutions (not performance. and imprecise indicators femicide/feminicide. to address them. in addition to delays in protection, and at times functioning as a about annual flow. availability of the under threat. system). information.

Data corresponding to violence Variables available for crime of Homicide by country Variables available for crime of Femicide/feminicide by country actually experienced by women are Costa Dominican Dominican persistently underrepresented. El Salvador Guatemala Rica Republic Belize Honduras El Salvador Guatemala Costa Rica Republic

Weapon/method Weapon/method An example of the differences in available disaggregation is that of homicide, where Age of victim Age of victim 44 variables are available, whereas this Time of event Time of event drops to 18 when typifying the offense of Place of occurrence Place of occurrence femicide/feminicide. Month Month There are fewer countries with data and Municipality Municipality the variables that are available for Relationship to perpetrator Relationship to perpetrator homicides involving men and women Area occurred Area occurred drops from 44 to 18 when typifying the crime of femicide/feminicide. Pregnant Pregnant Circumstance of event Circumstance of event Ethnicity Ethnicity Disability Disability Typification femicide/feminicide

THE CONTINUUM The continuum of violence affects women differently than men. OF VIOLENCE Sexual violence tends to be recurring and has long-term effects for survivors. Domestic/intrafamily violence is present throughout women’s lives and the primary victims are youth. A differentiated analysis There is still uncertainty about the precise impact the pandemic has had and will have on the continuum of violence against women and girls. of incidence of crime Continuum of violence Guatemala-Honduras, 2020

1600 1000 Women Men Intrafamily violence Rape Homicide 1200 Intrafamily violence Rape Homicide 800 600 800 400 400 200 0 0 70 + 70 + 70 0 - 9 0 - 9 10 - 14 15 - 17 10 - 14 15 - 17 18 - 24 18 - 24 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65 - 69 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65 - 69 40 - 44 40 - 44

Source: Sexual Crime: 2020 Public Ministry, data validation by SNIVCM-INE pending. Homicide/Intrafamily violence: 2020 data provided by PNC Guatemala, INE validation pending. Honduras Homicide UTECI Homicides/IFV/rape Public Ministry. Violence affects women to a different Records by sex in Guatemala, 2020 The region has the highest rates of sexual- and homicidal violence against extent than men. Disappearances women. Homicides Injury Different types of violence affect women and 5,327 Violent death by homicide Sexual Crime Rape 193 men differently. Records of crimes involving 33 Intrafamily Violence women primarily correspond to In 2020, there were 11% In 2020, there were 9% 2181 1,007 women victims of almost 15 thousand disappearances, sexual violence and 3,247 violent death in Belize, Women reports of sexual intrafamily violence, whereas in the case of Men men they mostly involve homicide and injuries. 1012 Costa Rica, El Salvador, crime, about 337 2217 Guatemala and 9 in 10 victims 416 % % 360 Honduras. 89 were women. 91

Source: Sexual Crime: 2020 Public Ministry, data validation by SNIVCM-INE pending. 1122 703 Source: Prepared by Infosegura with data provided by PNC, El Salvador (homicides & sexual crime); MP, Guatemala (homicides & sexual crime); OIJ, Disappearances/Homicides/Intrafamily Violence: 2020 data provided by PNC, INE Costa Rica (homicides & rape, statutory rape and indecent assault); BPD, Belize (homicides & rape & illegal sexual relations), Honduras (homicide & validation pending. Women Men sexual crime).

How does the continuum of violence against women manifest? Analysis of the other sides of violence against women

Reports of intrafamily violence have declined. Records of domestic/intrafamily violence by country, 2018-2020 Domestic Violence 2018 2019 2020 This is not necessarily in response to a reduction in this Domestic violence or intrafamily

type of violence, rather a drop in reporting due to mobility 65,965 violence is abuse or physical, violence of cases of Number 58,659 restrictions enforced during 2020. 58,957 55,459 psychological, sexual or other 53,056

aggression inflicted by In 2019, a total of 118,027 reported cases of intrafamily violence in 41,679 individuals in the family, Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. generally directed at more vulnerable members who are This is 6% less than the previous year. This decline is not 8,486 8,203

necessarily due to a drop in cases, rather it may be the 6,636 2,336 2,062 933 1,132 1,012 also members: girls, women consequence of the mobility restrictions enforced in 2020 in 885 and older women. response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Guatemala Costa Rica Honduras Belize Dominican Republic

Source: WHO, 2002. Source: Prepared by InfoSegura based on Judiciary Costa Rica, PGR Dominican Republic, BPD Belize, PNC Guatemala and MP Honduras.

Sexual violence The records of sexual crime show a Records of sexual crime involving women by country, 2018-2020 Sexual violence is defined as: "any downward trend in 2020. 2019 2020 sexual act, attempt to obtain a 9895 sexual act, unwanted sexual Records of sexual crime in El Salvador, 8767 comments or advances, or acts to Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, 6861 traffic, or otherwise directed, Costa Rica, Belize and Honduras exhibit a 24% decline on average in 2020, as 5177 against a person’s sexuality using compared to the previous year. coercion, by any person regardless 2739 2761 of their relationship to the victim, This decline could be associated with 2119 2095

in any setting, including but not increased difficulty in reporting due to 533 357 98 73 limited to home and work." the COVID-19 pandemic. Honduras Guatemala El Salvador Costa Rica Belize Dominican Republic

Source: Prepared by Infosegura with data provided by PNC, El Salvador (sexual crime); MP and SNIVCM-INE, Guatemala (rape or aggravated rape); PGR, Dominican Republic (sexual crime); BPD, Belize (Rape & illegal sexual relations); OIJ, Costa Rica (rape, statutory rape & indecent assault); MP, Fuente: OMS, 2013. Honduras (sexual crime). The primary victims of sexual Percentage of reported sexual crime by age and sex in the region, 2020 In most information on sexual crimes there is nothing on violence are women under Women Men the relationship between victim and perpetrator.

the age of 20. 37.9% As for Belize, there is information on the relationship in all recorded 7 in 10 victims of sexual crimes cases. are women under the age of 20. In 27% of cases, sexual crimes were committed by the current 22.6%

Improvements are needed in 19.8% partner or an ex-partner, while over half of perpetrators (55%) 18.5% gathering data on the age of had no relationship with the victim. the victims. In the case of men, 10.4% 7.7% 50% of complaints report no 7.5% 7.4% 6.4% 6.6% 6.3% None 40 6.1% 5.6% 5.5% 4.8% 4.8% age for the injured party, while 4.8% Victim-perpetrator 3.1% 3.1% 3.5% 1.9% 1.7% 1.2% 1.2% 1.0% Husband/ Partner 20 in women, this is so in 29% of 0.6% relationship, sexual crime against women, the cases. Other Relative 12

0 - 4 5 - 9 Belize, 2020 60 + 10 - 14 15 - 19 20 - 24 25 - 29 30 - 34 40 - 44 45 - 49

35 - 39 Other

50 - 54 55 - 59 1

Source: Prepared by InfoSegura based on PNC, Guatemala; MP, Honduras; OIJ, Costa Rica; BPD, Belize. *Omitted 2,787 records that lacked information on sex. *Percentages have been calculated for the total number of cases recorded in the sex variable for males and females. Source: Prepared by InfoSegura based on BPD, 2020

Disappearances Disappearances have declined over the last decade.

“In general, by missing persons, In El Salvador, 35% of disappearances El Salvador Guatemala what is meant are individuals of involved women, whereas in Guatemala the Women Men No Data Women Men whom their families have no news figure was 61%, during 2020. 3000 3000 and/or who, on the basis of reliable In 2020, disappearances of women 2500 2500 information, have been reported registered a decline in El Salvador and in missing as a result of an armed Guatemala, 44% and 23% respectively. 2000 2000 conflict (international or 1500 1500 non-international) or of internal In 2020, the total number of disappearances was

almost three times greater than homicides of 1000 1000 Number of individuals violence (internal disturbances or Number of individuals women and feminicides in El Salvador, while in 500 500 any other situation that might Guatemala it was more than double. require action by a neutral and Furthermore, there is a positive correlation to 0 0 independent body)." the number of homicides of women. 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Source: ICRC, 2012. Source: Prepared by InfoSegura based on FGR El Salvador; INE & PNC Guatemala, 2018

Femicide/Feminicide 10.0 Rate of violent deaths of women, by country, 2020 Rate of violent deaths of women by country, 2020 8.0 Femicide/feminicide is "[...] the 6.0 Honduras 6.7 violent death of women based 4.0 Belize 5.2 on gender, whether within the 2.0 2.3 Northern Triangle 4.8 family, domestic partnership, or 0.0 in any other interpersonal Guatemala 4.2 LAC Haiti Peru Brazil

World 4.0

Bolivia Subregion Guyana relationship; in the community, Jamaica Ecuador Uruguay Paraguay Barbados Nicaragua Venezuela

Chile (2016) El Salvador 2.0

by any person, or perpetrated or Guadeloupe Belize (2020) the Grenadines Colombia (2018) Argentina (2015) Honduras (2020)

Saint Lucia (2017) 2.4

tolerated by the State or its Costa Rica (2020)

Saint Vincent and Dominican Republic El Salvador (2020) Guatemala (2020) Trinidad & Tobago

agents, by action or omission." Costa Rica 2.4 Dominican Republic (2020) Source: Committee of Experts on the Follow-up Mechanism of the Belém do Pará Convention (MESECVI), 2008. Note: Rate per 100,000 women Source: Prepared by InfoSegura based on official data and UNODC Although records show a drop in violent deaths of women over the past decade, this is The difference in the types of weapons used in violent deaths of women still higher than the world rate (2.3 per 100,000 women). indicate that they involve greater cruelty.

All of the countries in the subregion except for Costa Rica, registered a downturn in rates in violent deaths In violent deaths, firearms are used the most, in both men and women. However, in the of women in 2020. case of women, the percentage of other weapons used is higher

Rate of violent deaths of Women by country, 2020 Violent deaths by weapon, 2020 World Costa Rica Dominican Republic El Salvador Guatemala Belize Honduras

11% 5% 5% 6% 20 Sharp weapon 16 Firearm Blunt object 77% 12 67% Other

8

4

16% 14% 0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Women Men

Source: Prepared by InfoSegura based on El Salvador, PNC & DIA; Guatemala INE-PNC, Honduras, preliminary data by the Working Group Source: Prepared by InfoSegura based on El Salvador, DIA; Guatemala INE-PNC, Honduras, preliminary data by the Working Group on Violent Deaths: National Police, on Violent Deaths: National Police, Public Ministry/Forensic Medicine Administration. National Registry of Persons. Coexistence and Public Ministry/Forensic Medicine Administration. National Registry of Persons. Coexistence and Citizen Security Observatories National Statistics Institute. IUDPAS/UNAH. Citizen Security Observatories National Statistics Institute. IUDPAS/UNAH. Technical Inter-Institutional Coordination Unit (UTECI)/ Technical Inter- Institutional Coordination Unit (UTECI)/Sub-Secretary for Inter-Institutional Affairs; Costa Rica, OIJ; the Dominican Republic, OSC-DR; Belize, BPD. Sub-Secretary for Inter- Institutional Affairs; Costa Rica, OIJ; the Dominican Republic, OSC-DR.

Homicides of women by place of occurrence (2020) In 2020, women ages 18 to 24 were the primary victims of lethal violence. Homicides of women are more frequent Women risk becoming victims of lethal violence starting at 15 years of age, and this in urban areas (58%). begins to decline significantly starting at 50. 441 Urban 42% Rural 610 58% Violent deaths of women by age, 2020 Source: Prepared by InfoSegura based on PNC, Guatemala; MP, Honduras; PNC, El Salvador

0 - 9 4% 10 - 14 3% 15 - 17 6% 1 in 3 women were victims of homicide in a private space. 18 - 24 19% 25 - 29 15% Between 2013 and 2020, Honduras exhibits an Violent deaths of women by place of 30 - 34 13% upward trend in deaths of women in private occurrence in Honduras, 2020 35 - 39 11% spaces. Private Public 40 - 44 9% Most violent deaths of women are 100% 45 - 49 8% committed in public areas. However, only 50 - 54 3% 1 in 10 men are victims of homicide in 50% 55 - 59 2% private spaces, whereas this proportion 60 - 64 1% rises to one in three in the case of women. 0% 65 - 69 2% 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 70 + 2% Unknown 1%

Source: Provisional data by Working Group on Violent Deaths: National Police, Public Ministry/Forensic Medicine Administration. National Registry of Persons. Coexistence and Citizen Security Observatories National Statistics Institute. IUDPAS/UNAH. Technical Inter-Institutional Coordination Unit (UTECI)/Sub-Secretary for Inter-Institutional Affairs. Source: Prepared by InfoSegura based on PNC, Guatemala; MP, Honduras; PNC, El Salvador A lower percentage of violent deaths of women was typified as There are conceptual differences between countries in determining femicide/feminicide in 2020 as compared to previous years. This has been the and typifying offenses as femicide/feminicide. trend since 2017. The number of femicides/femicides declined in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic in 2020 as compared to 2019.

Femicides/feminicides and violent deaths of women, 2013-2020 The was a 14% reduction in Costa Rica, 42% in El Salvador, 7% in Guatemala, and 4% in the Homicides Feminicides/Femicides Dominican Republic. Number of femicides/femicides by country, 2013-2020 Guatemala Dominican Republic El Salvador Costa Rica 36% 30% 47% 45% 49% 52% 54% 53% 600 400 64% 70% 53% 55% 51% 48% 46% 47% 200 0 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Source: Source: Prepared by InfoSegura based on El Salvador, PNC & FGR; Guatemala, MP-PNC; Costa Rica, Adjunct Prosecutor for Gender; Dominican Republic, OSC-DR. Source: Source: Prepared by InfoSegura based on El Salvador, PNC & FGR; Guatemala, MP-PNC; Costa Rica, Adjunct Prosecutor for Gender; Dominican Republic, OSC-DR.

Human trafficking Human trafficking is "[...] the recruitment, transport, transfer, harboring or, receipt of persons by Other vulnerabilities means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of Violence against women and girls can take on diverse and multiple deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving forms according to the living situation and the combination of of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having authority over another, for conditions of vulnerability that they experience. the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the Source: InfoSegura - UNDP/RBLAC 2020. The Hidden Side of Insecurity: prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or Violence against Women in Central America and the Dominican Republic practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs."

Source: UNODC,2007. Forced pregnancy and sexual abuse in girls and adolescents is part of the violence they experience throughout their life cycle. In Guatemala, cases of trafficking in women Human Trafficking in Guatemala, 2015-2020 In 2019, in Honduras a 12.3% drop in total births to adolescent mothers is Women Men No record dropped by 26% in 2020, compared to the registered (3,855 fewer births), as compared to figures from 2012. previous year. 442 423 419 In 2020, Guatemala registered a total 518 cases of 342 343 Births to adolescent mothers in Honduras, 2012-2019 Human Trafficking, 59% of them involved women. 307

208 198

178 33,035 The observed trend in cases involving women is 167 154 slightly low, despite registering a spike in 2019. 132 32,544 31,969

31,756

Number of victims of human trafficking 10 13 8 18 22 13 31,426

Source: Public Ministry, as per reports generated 27 Feb 2021. 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 30,468 29,741

2019 2020

Victims of human trafficking tend to be 27,571

adolescent females ages 13 to 17. 13.9 Nearly half (44%) of the cases have no record of

the age of victims. Nevertheless, cases where this 7.3 Total births to adolescent

information is included reveal that 55% of female women, by age Rate per 100 thou. 2.6 victims of trafficking were girls and adolescents 1.7 1.4 1.7 under the age of 17. 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Girl (0-12) Adolescent (13-17) Adult (18-59)

Source: Public Ministry, as per reports generated 27 Feb 2021. Demographic projections based on the 2018 CENSUS. Source: Secretariat of Health of Honduras