Silent Exodus : A study on Gender-Based Violence and Migration Decision-Making of Women from Honduras in the USA

Abstract: This thesis explores the role of GBV in the decision-making process of Honduran women that migrate to the U.S. Drawing upon de Haas’s aspirations-capabilities framework, this study aims to understand women’s aspirations to migrate and their interplay within a broader societal context. The study relies on the use of semi-structured interviews to identify recurring themes in women’s narrated experiences and produce a nuanced understanding of how these experiences impacted their migration decisions. Findings reveal that GBV served as a point of inflection for Honduran women to migrate, motivated by the perceived risk of perpetual revictimization within an intrinsically patriarchal society. Furthermore, hopelessness in state institutions and social actors to change these power dynamics, proved influential in their lack of aspiration to return. This study contributes to the field of female international migration studies, and advocates for policy reform that addresses the prevailing issue of GBV in Honduras.