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"I Have 2000 Reasons to Live Without Violence"(published in CHRIA News, Spring/Summer 2000)
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| International Women's Day celebration in the streets of Managua |
That was the message of the Nicaraguan women's movement this International Women's Day (March 8, 2000). I was fortunate to be part of the "Women Challenging Violence" March 2000 delegation of The Committee for Health Rights in the Americas (CHRIA). We learned about the work Nicaraguan activists are doing to address violence against women in their society. Running throughout the trip were clear parallels to anti-violence work here in the U.S.
I am not new to the feminism. Before the CHRIA delegation, I had been part of the global feminist movement for years, and had particularly researched Latin American feminism and its Sandinista history. But I knew that a firsthand experience in Nicaragua would bring my studies to life and add to my own feminist perspective. My trip with the CHRIA delegation proved me right.
Outstanding Feminist Organizations
In a brief 10 days, we delegates - a vibrant mixture of North Americans from different parts of the U.S. and from different ages and walks of life - touched upon many facets of Nicaraguan contemporary life. CHRIA helped us glimpse the culture and community spirit at the grassroots of Nicaragua. We listened to passionate people talk about how the Nicaraguan feminist movement is spearheading change as they re-construct their society in a more just and equitable manner. We learned of the extensive integration of the women's movement in all of Nicaragua's development efforts: from Hurricane Mitch recovery to national health promotion.
Our days and nights were full with visits to outstanding feminist organizations working on intra-family violence, gender oppression and machismo, and sexual abuse. We looked at economic violence in the form of sweatshops (maquilas) and the crippling debt to Northern banks (and the Jubilee 2000 movement). We also spoke with many individuals dealing with issues such as street children and the destruction of the Nicaraguan environment.
"It doesn't matter how difficult it is, we are not going to take a step back [on this path]. There is no way that we will return to the old model of attention that women used to receive," said Lorna Norori. She is one of the many Nicaraguan women who insist on moving beyond violence. She works with the network of local women's police stations (or Comiserias de la Mujer y la Ninez), whose mandate is to reduce the level of violence against women in the country. After years of petitioning, the first such station opened its doors in Managua in 1993.
One special evening we spoke with Zoilamerica Naravaez, Daniel Ortega's stepdaughter who in 1998 publicly accused him of sexually abusing her for most of her life. She shared with us her personal struggles and healing process. "I'm committed to the truth and I will sustain," she said. Zoilamerica believes the best way to spread this truth is through her work with the feminist organizations La Red de Mujeres Contra La Violencia and Puntos de Encuentro (two of the organizations we visited).
We also met with Grupo de Hombres, a pro-feminist men's group allied with Puntos de Encuentro. El Grupo does outreach work throughout the country: on barrio streets, in workshops and even in the Nicaraguan army. By addressing other men directly, the men's group emphasizes the prevention of violence against women by healing the wounds of the rigid machista culture.
"What happens if we stop being violent?" asked group member Jairo Gutierrez. "It's not easy to bring these new values home and integrate them into daily life."
| The Atlantic Coast |  |
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| Traditional Garafuna dancers | Street in Bluefields |
We visited the women's police station in the city of Bluefields, which offers psychological, legal and social services for several hundred violence survivors each year. It also prosecutes the aggressors. But government funding for the police station has dried up, said attorney Carmen Merlo, who joins her colleagues in working without pay.
"In Nicaragua," observed Carmen, "the cows are more important than women. The Inter-American Development Bank recently gave us $50 million for cow parasites, but nothing for women." Co-worker Elvira Castilia added that stealing cows is often thought of as a more serious crime than is domestic violence.
Our delegation met with health promoters in the isolated community of Pearl Lagoon to learn of work to improve women's health and gain leadership skills. In the late 1980s, an informal women's group sprang up in Pearl Lagoon to address intra-family issues, and much of its work revolves around health and violence. Health promoter Sharon Downs told us that "The ladies in this area know their rights. What they don't know is how to claim them. They know that their husbands are abusing [them] and they know what they need. But what they don't know is how to get out of it." Sound familiar?
Almost all of the CHRIA delegates on our trip were women - a unique opportunity for us all. I was struck by our ability to deeply understand our Nicaraguan sisters, despite the cultural gap between us. We could easily relate to each other's experiences, struggles and successes and shared a common language - beyond the Spanish/English barrier.
Many thanks to CHRIA for facilitating my deeply personal connection to the people and country of Nicaragua!