Help women in Nicaragua access independent media to ensure their rights are recognized and protected by their government, society, and family.

Why we care: Women in Nicaragua face daily discrimination, violence and harassment legitimized by a patriarchal, state-sponsored media.

How we’re solving this: Providing women a free speech platform on television to discuss issues important to them.

A woman’s life in Nicaragua is controlled by everything except herself. The conservative government opposes women’s human rights; pervasive religious fundamental beliefs deny sexual and reproductive rights; and societal stereotypes expect women to submit to men. Even the act of walking outside, to school, or to work means facing sexual harassment. It is estimated that less than 10 percent of cases of violence against women go to trial; therefore impunity prevails.

Fortunately, the Condega Women’s Network for Women’s Training and Holistic Development (CWN-Nicaragua) is successfully organizing women to overcome this oppression and violence. CWN-Nicaragua trains women to creatively use media to advocate for recognition of their rights and their independence.

This year, CWN-Nicaragua will organize 10 workshops teaching women’s rights activists how to produce, edit and broadcast engaging and educational television programming. As a result, over 1,500 Nicaraguans will tune in each week for a new television episode that will cover controversial topics such as: impunity and justice, religious beliefs on virginity and sexuality, abortion, societal stereotypes of women, and sexual diversity.

Television broadcasts will be a chance for Nicaraguans to enjoy the rare instance of independent media and learn why women’s rights is integral to building a free, democratic, and equal society for all women and men. To ensure that officials implement more laws protecting women’s rights, women activists from CWN-Nicaragua will partner with other local organizations and hit the streets to demonstrate in public spaces, participate in public meetings and press conferences, and provide pro-bono legal advice to women survivors of violence.