Mujeres defendiendo la vida y los bienes naturales: casos de América Central

The report examines how corporate activities—including water extraction by Coca-Cola in El Salvador, hydroelectric projects in Honduras, pineapple monocultures in Costa Rica, and sugarcane production in Guatemala—disproportionately affect women's health, labor, and access to resources. It details the specific burdens placed on women, such as increased domestic labor due to water scarcity and health risks from agrotóxicos, while showcasing the emergence of women-led resistance movements and community-based research to challenge corporate power and state negligence.

• In Nejapa, El Salvador, the Coca-Cola bottling plant (Industrias La Constancia/Sab Miller) is accused of over-extracting water from the Nejapa/Quezaltepeque aquifer. A technical study by hydrologist Julio Quiñonez found that the aquifer's annual recharge is approximately 18 million m³, but actual consumption is between 34.67 million m³, meaning 191.54% of the annual recharge is being extracted. At this rate, the aquifer could be exhausted in 25 to 30 years, with climate change potentially reducing this to 27 years.
• Water scarcity and contamination in Nejapa specifically burden women, who are primarily responsible for domestic water management. This results in a 'double work day' for women who must travel long distances to carry water, limiting their time for education, family, and rest. Additionally, contaminated water and poor sanitation have contributed to health risks, including the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like Zika, while limited access to reproductive health services forced some women to seek unsafe clandestine abortions.
• In Honduras, the expansion of the extractivist model since the 1990s, accelerated after the 2009 coup, has led to massive concessions for hydroelectric, mining, and wind projects. This has resulted in severe territorial dispossession and violence; 123 environmental activists have been murdered since 2009. Indigenous Lenca women are particularly affected as they bear the responsibility for household water supply, which is often disrupted or contaminated by dam construction.
• In Costa Rica, the expansion of the 'Gold' or MD2 pineapple monoculture, driven by neoliberal policies and the 2008 Free Trade Agreement with the US, has contaminated water sources with agrotóxicos such as Bromacil. In 2017, over 5,000 people in the Veracruz community of San Carlos de Alajuela were impacted by Bromacil contamination. Women are disproportionately affected by the resulting need to haul water for domestic tasks and have led resistance through organizations like FRENASAPP.
• Gender disparities in land ownership and technical support are stark in Costa Rica's agricultural sector. According to the National Agricultural Census, women own only 8.1% of the country's cultivable area, and only 2.7% of farms managed by women received state or private technical assistance, compared to 17.1% for those managed by men.
• In Guatemala's South Coast, the sugarcane monoculture (managed by ASAZGUA) has led to the drying up of artisanal community wells due to deep industrial wells. Women in communities like Champerico report skin diseases (rashes and spots) caused by aerial ripeners and ash from cane burning. The use of these chemicals also damages home gardens, causing crops like avocado and tomato to ripen prematurely, leading to significant economic losses for families.
• Labor conditions in Guatemala's sugarcane industry are characterized by exploitation, with 90% of day laborers earning below the minimum wage, and women receiving the lowest pay. Many workers lack written contracts and social security, and women report facing humiliating treatment and sexual harassment from supervisors as a condition for employment.
• Across Central America, women have transitioned from passive roles to active leadership in socio-environmental defense. Examples include Berta Cáceres in Honduras, who fought the Agua Zarca dam, and Josefina Escamilla in El Salvador, who led protests against Coca-Cola. These movements often combine anti-capitalist, anti-patriarchal, and anti-racist struggles.

APA

Muñoz, M., Cipriano, A. M., Raymundo, E. R., Espinoza, A., Baca, J., & Silva, M. (2018). Mujeres defendiendo la vida y los bienes naturales: casos de América Central. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/MujeresDefendiendolosBienesNaturales.pdf

Chicago

Muñoz, Marta, Awex Mejia Cipriano, Elias Raymundo Raymundo, Azalia Espinoza, Jazziel Baca, and Martha Silva. Mujeres defendiendo la vida y los bienes naturales: casos de América Central. Friends of the Earth International, 2018. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/MujeresDefendiendolosBienesNaturales.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Muñoz |first1=Marta |last2=Cipriano |first2=Awex Mejia |last3=Raymundo |first3=Elias Raymundo |last4=Espinoza |first4=Azalia |last5=Baca |first5=Jazziel |last6=Silva |first6=Martha |title=Mujeres defendiendo la vida y los bienes naturales: casos de América Central |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=March 2018 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/MujeresDefendiendolosBienesNaturales.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{muoz2018mujeres, author = {Muñoz, Marta and Cipriano, Awex Mejia and Raymundo, Elias Raymundo and Espinoza, Azalia and Baca, Jazziel and Silva, Martha}, title = {{Mujeres defendiendo la vida y los bienes naturales: casos de América Central}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2018}, month = mar, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/MujeresDefendiendolosBienesNaturales.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }