Gender-based Violence Impunity in Femicides of Garifuna Women and Transgender Women in Honduras

By Jennifer Avila, et al.

  The Honduras country case study is one of eight case studies that comprise the Latin America and Caribbean Learning and Rapid Response (LACLEARN) Gender-based Violence (GBV) Impunity Regional Study. Applying an intersectional gender and political economy approach, this case study explores impunity for femicide and transfemicide among transgender women and Garifuna women in Honduras. Transgender and Garifuna women (both cisgender and transgender1) are disproportionately affected by GBV impunity, and face catastrophic consequences of impunity in the near and long term. These women have the least resources to access justice, protection, or recovery support services, are socioeconomically marginalized, and are politically targeted for their gender and ethnic identities and as human rights defenders. Garifuna women as environmental and land rights defenders, and transgender women as members of a minority gender identity and transgender rights defenders face extraordinary discrimination, intimidation, and violence as documented by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the Global Protection Cluster, investigative journalists, and in data that civil society organizations collect. The Honduras case study involved collection and analysis of data from: 1) a review of available scholarly and grey literature and secondary statistics on structural gender inequalities, such as poverty, unemployment, and social and political disparities, that create the conditions within which high levels of GBV and impunity persist, especially towards transgender women and Garifuna women (cisgender and transgender); and 2) views shared in 30 in-depth individual interviews (IDIs) with GBV survivors and their representatives among transgender women and Garifuna women, relevant institutional actors, and civil society organization service providers that interact with GBV survivors or victims’ representatives in their work in Honduras. The team used an adapted qualitative data analysis Framework Method with integrated thematic analysis to identify, analyze, and interpret key themes emerging from the interview transcripts. The case study first diagnoses the state of GBV impunity in Honduras, then identifies solutions to address impunity, and finally provides practical recommendations to USAID on strategies for operationalizing changes needed to promote pathways to GBV accountability that survivors recommend.   

New York: USAID, 2022. 54p.