Presentations and further discussion were based on the following preliminary insights: i) differentiated unmet needs in healthcare as access to prenatal care during pregnancy ; ii) unmet needs in menstrual health (lack of access to privacy and basic services for enjoying menstruation with dignity); iii) access to medical attention without solving the necessity for health, essentially for women travelling with their children; iv) negative impact on mental health; and v) discrimination and irregular migration status as main barriers for getting access to healthcare during migratory journey.  Gender based Violence and adulthood centred healthcare attention for adolescents were also remarkable insights from the qualitative approach.

During activities were also shared informative material created by ReGHID project in collaboration with OIM/Honduras for women and adolescent migrants about Menstrual Health and Sexual Autonomy that will be provided during health attention in three reception centres in San Pedro Sula. Brochure content also includes integral services location at geographical level for women and adolescents in health attention (general health and sexual and reproductive health), social protection, legal assistance and psico-emotional support in Honduras.

At both events, the FLACSO El Salvador research team, led by Co-I MSc. Mónica Linares, also presented the results of the qualitative research carried out in the Mesoamerican corridor, based on interviews with cisgender and trans women, and migrant and displaced adolescents from the northern countries of Central America (Honduras , El Salvador and Guatemala); and with health service providers and organisations linked to migration and health issues, from the government sector, international and civil society organisations from Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras. The study provides evidence on the reasons for migrating, difficulties and risks during the journey, and the needs and barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health services for women and adolescents from northern Central America who migrate to Mexico and the USA.

In the light of the results and related discussion, joint action and mutual agreements among organisations involved emerged for future action plans that contemplate positioning Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) of migrant women during displacement in the public agenda for policy strategies in the short and mid-term across the Central American Region. Some of those actions were: promote awareness about the risk exposure during displacement in home countries; incentivise training for healthcare/service provider workers in borders or high influx hotpot of migrants about health, gender and migration – key initiatives that guarantee dignity and humanitarian attention during medical/general attention to migrant women and adolescents during forced displacement; and replicate the survey in other countries in order to get a better picture of the characteristics of migrants and their SRH situation during displacement, among other initiatives with same relevance in the context of humanitarian crisis, human mobility and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights.

A video recording of the event in El Salvador can be viewed here: video

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