Violence against women worsens in Nicaragua for the fifth consecutive year, leaving women in a state of “total helplessness”. According to the Autonomous Women’s Movement (MAM), women in Nicaragua are facing “totalitarianism and sexist violence”. So far this year, 67 women have been murdered in Nicaragua. The Institute of Legal Medicine of Nicaragua alone documented 3,083 cases of sexual violence in the first 7 months of 2023. At least 17 women are political prisoners in Nicaragua, accused of conspiring against the government, and the Nicaragua Human Rights Collective Never Again Impunity has called for their release. The organization also called for pressure on the Nicaraguan dictatorship to end systematic violence against women.
Moreover, the organization of Independent Journalists and Communicators of Nicaragua (PCIN) reports that violence against women journalists in the country is worsening, with 78 cases of rape, 23 of which were women, recorded up to October 2023. Violations of press freedom have also increased considerably in the last quarter. The PCIN reaffirms its commitment to continue fighting against violence against women, especially against Nicaraguan journalists and communicators.
November 25 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, commemorating the murder of the Mirabal Sisters by the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in 1960. This day is an opportunity to denounce the violence suffered by women around the world and demand policies for its eradication, as violence against women can take many forms and has a devastating impact on the lives of women and their families.
It is crucial to remember that violence against women is a preventable problem that needs to be addressed.