{"id":655,"date":"2012-10-09T08:49:50","date_gmt":"2012-10-09T06:49:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.interpeace.org\/2012\/10\/09\/the-day-of-the-girl-shedding-light-on-women-in-gangs\/"},"modified":"2015-07-28T11:24:22","modified_gmt":"2015-07-28T09:24:22","slug":"the-day-of-the-girl-shedding-light-on-women-in-gangs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.interpeace.org\/fr\/2012\/10\/the-day-of-the-girl-shedding-light-on-women-in-gangs\/","title":{"rendered":"The Day of the Girl: Shedding light on women in gangs"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly agreed to designate 11 October as the International Day of the Girl Child, or the \u2018Day of the Girl.\u2019 The day promotes girls\u2019 rights and addresses various forms of inequality, discrimination and abuse suffered by girls across the world. On this day, Interpeace has chosen to highlight the particular situation faced by girls and young women in gangs in Central America.<\/p>\n

Central America - shedding light on women in gangs<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although it is estimated that the number of gang members has fallen considerably in the last years, gang violence has significantly increased in the Central American region.<\/p>\n

In a recent report, Isabel Aguilar Uma\u00f1a, Regional Coordinator of Interpeace\u2019s Central American Youth Programme, and Jeanne Rikkers, Regional Research Coordinator of Interpeace\u2019s Central American Youth Programme, have explored an interesting angle of gang life that rarely makes the headlines: the role of young women in the male-dominated gang culture.<\/p>\n

The report, entitled Violent Women and Violence Against Women (PDF, English)<\/a>, focuses on El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The exploratory study is based on a series of interviews with both active and former female gang members in the three countries between 2008 and 2011.<\/p>\n

Recommendations for prevention<\/strong><\/p>\n

At a time when alarming reports of violence against women have been recorded, Interpeace\u2019s \u2018Violent Women and Violence Against Women\u2019 study issues six policy recommendations for the national and international level. The recommendations suggest that in high-crime areas, early signs of vulnerability and family violence must be detected and dealt with swiftly by professionals. What is more, it proposes that programmes reaching out to girls and teenage women in particular must be expanded to provide them with real opportunities and strengthen their self-esteem.<\/p>\n

Why young women join gangs<\/strong><\/p>\n

The report explores the possibilities of preventing young girls and teenage women from joining gangs. Furthermore, the study investigates the reasons why women choose to join these organizations. Isabel Aguilar Uma\u00f1a explains: \u201cOftentimes young women, most of them poor, try to escape domestic violence and long for protection, affection, and recognition.\u201d Interestingly, the report finds that many women who join gangs neither felt happy before they joined, nor when they were active members, nor \u00a0even after having left the gangs.<\/p>\n

Women in a male-dominated universe<\/strong><\/p>\n

The role of female gang members has dramatically changed over the past years. While women have always been connected to maras<\/em> and gangs in some ways, mostly by affiliation to an actual member, for example as mothers, sisters or girlfriends, they have traditionally occupied a marginal role in the gang culture. They have fulfilled traditional roles imposed by the patriarchal model. \u201cRecently, though,\u201d Jeanne Rikkers points out, \u201cwomen have actively joined the gangs by initiation and have taken on a plethora of additional functions. The additional tasks include hiding weapons, acting as drug mules and participating in extortion, often taking advantage of their \u2018innocent\u2019 image.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once a member, it is difficult to leave the gangs, as it is generally viewed as a betrayal of the sworn life-long loyalty that gangs require. Nevertheless, the study has found that women sometimes do decide to leave the world of violence and abuse due to pregnancy or religious reasons.<\/p>\n

Reversing a downward spiral<\/strong><\/p>\n

To prevent more and more people from becoming involved in the downward spiral of youth violence, Interpeace\u2019s Central American Youth Programme helps governments and civil society to address these important issues by developing holistic and inclusive policies and prevention measures.<\/p>\n

This report was produced as part of the Initiative for Peacebuilding - Early Warning (IfP-EW)<\/a> which is financed by the European Union. Interpeace coordinated the cluster on youth, identity and security. The research included in this document was produced as part of a project supported by the International Development Research Centre of Canada.<\/h6>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly agreed to designate 11 October as the International Day of the Girl Child, or the \u2018Day of the Girl.\u2019 The day promotes girls\u2019 rights and addresses various forms of inequality, discrimination and abuse suffered by girls across the world. 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