Despite reports of high levels of violence among women migrants in Central America, limited evidence exists regarding the health and safety of migrant sex workers in Central America. The analysis explored migration-related determinants of susceptibility to violence experienced by migrant sex workers across different phases of migration.
Violence in home communities and economic considerations were key drivers of migration. Unsafe transit experiences e. In , the stock of international migrants 1 million and the stock of internal migrants million, living outside their region of birth together represented Among Latin American and Caribbean international migrants 36 millions , Central American migrants are the most likely to reside outside their region of birth 17 million - most of whose Historically, civil conflicts across Central America, including the Guatemalan — , Salvadorean — and Nicaraguan — civil wars, gave rise to the first mass migrations of Central American migrants to Northern countries such as Mexico and the USA.
In addition to historical civil conflicts, current migration flows in this region are shaped by broader structural factors related to globalization, such as income disparity and gang and drug-related violence International Organization for Migration ; United Nations Development Programme Globally and in Central America, women play a large role in migration flows.
Women frequently migrate independently to support their family as sole economic providers or in search of social mobility Zimmerman, Kiss, and Hossain Economic opportunities for female migrants are often constrained by gender roles and legal barriers related to immigration status, frequently limiting economic options to informal sector jobs Kanaiaupuni ; Mahler and Pessar ; Pessar Given previous research indicating the elevated health and social risks experienced by migrant sex workers in other low- and middle-income settings Goldenberg et al.
Our analysis of migration-related determinants of violence examined experiences across different phases of migration and was informed by a conceptual framework emphasizing the multi-staged nature of risks across the migration process Zimmerman, Kiss, and Hossain Additionally, we drew upon the Theory of Gender and Power to guide and contextualize findings related to the social mechanisms that produce gender-based inequities and disparities e.
