A love-hate relationship: An ethnographic study of migration with Lenca women in rural Honduras

Abstract

ABSTRACT Honduras is a Latin-American country composed of nine Indigenous groups whose communities have experienced rural-to-urban migration due to the lack of employment, access to services, and poor infrastructure. The Lenca are the largest Indigenous group in Honduras, and have experienced massive outmigration of men, leaving women in charge of agricultural production – traditionally a man’s duty. The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomenon of migration from the perspective of the Lenca women who are members of an agricultural cooperative. For this ethnographic study, a total of 46 members participated in a migration perception activity and semi-structured interviews. Overall, participants perceived migration as a dangerous phenomenon; however, they still believe that migrating out of their communities will help them to overcome poverty.