Breaking the Silence, Leading the Way

At 62, Marta’s warm smile and laugh light up the tortilla stand she runs in western El Salvador. When you meet her, you might not suspect that behind her joyful spirit is a journey to healing from decades of pain.

For 32 years, Marta lived in constant fear of violence. “The father of my children used to humiliate me frequently,” she recalls. “He would say I was worthless.”

When he drank—which was often—he would lash out. Terrified, she would hide with her children as he threatened her, smashing the walls with a machete. Marta remembers, “I used to lock myself and my children to protect ourselves. Other times, I would lock my children so he wouldn’t hit them. Then, he ended up hitting me.”

She bore the trauma in silence as no one around her offered help, not even her family. Marta’s life went on without hope for a change.

One night, after a brutal beating, she went outside in the middle of the night and wept: “I sat in the darkness and said to myself: ‘This isn’t a life worth living. This is too much suffering.’ And in that moment, it thought the best scenario was to no longer be alive. I prayed to God and told Him that dying was my last resource.”

 

 

Marta’s experience isn’t uncommon for women in El Salvador. According to a 2023 study by IJM, more than a third of Salvadoran women have experienced sexual or physical violence at least once in their lives. For many, that violence spans a lifetime. Burdened by social norms that portray aggression toward women as acceptable, many of these women see no hope for a way out.

But although violence has left its mark on her, Marta’s story didn’t end in despair. Since her abuser passed away, she has found healing through mutual support with other women who have had similar experiences.

“Las Comadres” is a survivor support group established by IJM and local partner ASAPROSAR (the Salvadoran Association for Rural Health). In 2019, Marta was invited to join this group. With the support of other women, as well as the care of trained counselors, she could finally begin to heal and move forward: “Las Comadres helped me a lot . . . They came and hugged me and cried with me. I thank God for finding this program. I don’t know where I’d be without it.”

Today, as the director of a Las Comadres group, Marta is committed to helping women seek justice and restoration. She offers solidarity and hope to those still living in the shadow of violence.

With a combination of emotional and psychological support, Marta has regained her confidence and joy. She exclaims with a smile, “I used to be told that I was worthless, but now I know my worth! I know I am valuable. Today, I feel free, happy and confident in what I am doing. And I know that I can help other women.”

 

 

Your support helps brave survivors like Marta become leaders, building a future where every woman is safe from violence.