CONTEXT
El Salvador’s recent history has been shaped by the 1979-1992 civil war, and the subsequent rise of gang violence, fueled by the postwar deportation of displaced Salvadorian youth from the United States.
While gang-related violence has subsided in recent years, concerns are growing around President Bukele’s concentration of power and escalating attacks on human rights and environmental activists. In 2025, the government reversed a hard-fought ban on metal mining—raising alarms about environmental degradation and access to clean water in this water-scarce Central American country. Meanwhile, women and gender diverse people continue to experience high levels of sexual and gender-based violence. Abortion remains criminalized under all circumstances, leaving women vulnerable to legal persecution and unsafe abortions.
Despite widespread repression, social justice movements continue to organize in the defense of water, and to promote gender equality and inclusive care and services for all.
OUR WORK IN EL SALVADOR
We support La Colectiva Feminista para el Desarrollo Local in confronting gender-based violence and promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights in El Salvador.
La Colectiva provides legal and psychosocial support, as well as strategic litigation, to women survivors of gender-based violence. They provide learning opportunities and training for caregivers, children and adolescents, ensuring that young people have access to critical information about comprehensive sexuality.
In coalition with the Americas Policy Group and other international networks, we support people’s right to clean water and to amplify the voices of communities resisting extractive industries.
Reach out to our team
Nathalia Santos Ocasio (she/her)
Program Manager