In an effort to intimidate feminist activists, the government in Nicaragua, in collaboration with right wing groups, has charged 9 renowned women’s human rights defenders with criminal violations for their work. The women, notorious for their defense of women’s rights, have a long history of struggle in favor of freedom, justice, democracy and socioeconomic development  in Nicaragua.

They are being persecuted for crimes of omission surrounding the controversial case of Rosita, a 9-year-old girl who was raped, became pregnant, and received a therapeutic abortion, a form of abortion outlawed in Nicaragua in 2006. Read the Nobel Women’s Initiative statement of solidarity for our Nicaraguan sisters below.

“We call all women’s and other civil society organizations to mobilize against this repressive action of political terrorism and to defend the rights and freedom of our compañeras.” –Patricia Orozco, Regional Coordinator of the September 28th Campaign, which aims to liberalize punitive abortion laws in Latin America and the Caribbean in the interests of public health, respect for human rights, and recognition of women’s citizenship

Nobel Women’s Initiative Statement of Solidarity

As women Nobel Laureates, we express our deepest solidarity with the nine women rights leaders who have been accused of criminal acts and threatened with prison sentences by the Nicaraguan government for their important work in defense of women’s reproductive rights and in defense of victims of rape and sexual violence.  We are gravely concerned by this attempt to silence the critical voices for democracy and peace of leaders of the Nicaraguan women’s movement as they bring to light the most egregious private crimes of incest, rape and sexual abuse that implicate key leaders in government.

On November 22, the Nicaraguan Attorney General’s Office received instructions to
prosecute the women for supposed crimes of omission surrounding the controversial case of Rosita, a 9-year-old girl who was raped, became pregnant, and received a therapeutic abortion. Therapeutic abortion, when the life of the mother is endangered, was outlawed during the electoral campaign in 2006 in order to gain favor with conservative religious constituencies.  We perceive this prosecution not only as an attack against these nine women, but also as a means to damage the credibility of women’s organizations that have bravely denounced crimes of violence and sexual abuse for many years.

Below are the 9 women we are committed to supporting:

1. Ana Maria Pizarro, member of the Regional Coordination of the September 28 Campaign for the Decriminalization of Abortion in Latin America and the Caribbean
2. Juanita Jiménez, (until recently) responsible for Advocacy at the Network of Women Against Violence
3. Lorna Norori, psychologist
4. Luisa Molina Arguello, spokesperson for the Federation of NGOs working with Children and Adolescents
5. Martha Maria Blandón, from the Sexuality, Maternity and Rights Forum and IPAS Central America
6. Martha Munguia, director of the Women Action Now Center
7. Mayra Sirias, current spokesperson of the Network of Women Against Violence and member of its coordinating body
8. Violeta Delgado, former Executive Coordinator of the Network of Women Against Violence
9. Yamileth Mejia, (until recently) responsible for Political Training at the Network of Women Against Violence

These activists also played an important role in speaking out about the alleged sexual abuse of Zoilamérica Narváez by her step-father, Daniel Ortega, the current President of Nicaragua.

We join with the broad array of leaders and organizations world wide in solidarity with our Nicaraguan sisters.

LEARN MORE

www.DefendingWomen-DefendingRights.org –

Action Alert for Nicaraguan Women

Autonomous Women’s Movement (MAM)

Read Over Their Dead Bodies, a 2007 report by Human Rights Watch that reports Nicaraguan women’s health and lives are being put at risk by the country’s blanket ban on abortions.