Economic opportunities and prevention of violence affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer youth in Central America

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) youth have suffered multiple forms of vulnerability, exclusion, and violence, particularly in Central America where homophobia is widespread. For instance, after political turmoil in the region in 2009, LGBTQI+ murders increased sharply, with the highest numbers of transgender murders to date relative to its population.

This study will investigate the hypothesis that LGBTQI+ youth experience greater levels of violence and less access to the economic opportunities due to their sexual identity. Various manifestations of violence (discrimination, homophobia, aggressions due to hatred, lack of political will and inclusiveness) will be explored as well as how/whether they are linked to the availability of economic opportunities for youth, such as legal and formal employment.

The study is being led by the El Salvador-based Fundación Cristosal, a non-governmental organization working to advance human rights in Central America through rights-based research, learning, and programming. It will also assess programs or interventions designed to address economic opportunities for LGBTQI+ youth in order to identify strategies that support them and to inform policies and practices that can better respond to their needs.

This proposal is part of a broader initiative launched in 2016 aiming to revisit the linkages between youth, violence, and economic opportunities in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.