El Salvador
From 1980 to 1992, El Salvador was embroiled in a civil war that resulted in the deaths of approximately 75,000 people, the disappearance of around 9,000 others, and widespread human rights violations, including torture and sexual violence.
Sexual violence was used as a weapon of war and repression during the conflict, but has remained largely under-documented, socially taboo, and is often subsumed under other violations.
Sexual and reproductive violence were especially documented during scorched-earth operations carried out against rural communities where women and girls were raped, tortured, and in many cases, executed. It was also systematically used against women and girls during the massacres in El Mozote and its surroundings – one of the deadliest episodes of violence against civilians in Latin American history – where more than 970 people were killed.
Our Global Reparations Study, published in 2025 with Cristosal and The Due Process of Law Foundation, found that survivors in El Salvador have no effective channels to access reparations and feel “a profound sense of abandonment” from both the State and society as a whole. The Study, entitled Lo contamos para que no vuelva a pasar (We tell our story so that it doesn’t happen again), also documented the long-term physical, psychological, social and intergenerational impacts of conflict-related sexual violence, as well as the enduring silence surrounding the issue.
2025
Although El Salvador has existing reparation mechanisms – including a national reparations programme established in 2013 – these have not provided effective reparation for survivors. Various structural barriers, limited recognition of conflict-related sexual violence, and a lack of gender-responsive and sensitive measures hinder survivors’ access to reparation.
In March 2026, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) held its first public hearing dedicated to conflict-related sexual violence in El Salvador, with the participation of GSF, partner organisations, a survivor of sexual violence, and the State of El Salvador. This marked the first time a Salvadoran survivor spoke publicly on the issue.
During the hearing, the survivor requested forms of reparation, including psychological support, for herself and others. GSF and partners also highlighted findings from the GRS and called for historic claims of sexual violence to be pursued by the courts. The hearing highlighted the continuing impunity surrounding conflict-related sexual violence and the need for comprehensive, survivor-centred reparation.