But what appears to be a picturesque paradise on the surface has a dark side. Here, anyone wishing to do so can buy a girl for just 20 dollars. The younger she is, the more it costs. This oppression has a long history. Ancient traditions live on in a context poisoned by racism, discrimination and poverty. Women and children are the most vulnerable. The population, which mainly consists of Miskito and Mayagna, two of the ten indigenous peoples that have lived here for hundreds of years, does not only have its own customs and traditions β it also speaks its own language.
This is something that has often been a factor that has contributed to their exclusion. Like many other countries in Latin America, Nicaragua is characterised by a strong macho culture. One in which women are seen more as property than people with their own free will, without the right to decide over their own bodies. According to AMICA sexual violence is widespread, but it is most prevalent in isolated villages and smaller communities.
It affects thousands of women and girls. The perpetrators may be fathers, grandfathers, uncles or even brothers. It is viewed as a pain that must be endured. Recently they had a case with a year-old girl who told them that her father had been raping her since she was 9. Things like that stay rooted within you, says Ninoska. AMICA is one of few organizations in the region to work with sexual violence. They have received support from Diakonia since , and their need is great.
AMICA currently supports around 5, women and girls regarding issues such as sexual and reproductive health, financial and legal rights, and developing strategies to prevent violence against women. For an organization with just a handful of employees, it is a strain that is tangible not only in their professional lives but also their private lives. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I separated from him.
We learn from a very early age that everything that happens in the home and with the family is the fault of the woman. A young woman who perhaps dresses a little provocatively only has herself to blame if she gets raped.
