Research Project Description: AMNLAE Casa de la Mujer “Sonia Bello” Site: Tola, Nicaragua Research Topic: Migration / Gender Equity Description of FSD: Foundation for Sustainable Development is an international development organization that seeks to support communities in achieving their goals through asset-based development and international exchange in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. FSD provides opportunities for students and professionals to engage in real community development work--instead of a typical study abroad or drop-in service project program. FSD’s program sites are in six countries and eight cities, where for more than two decades it has supported more than 300 community partner organizations and trained more than 3,000 volunteers. Its community development efforts have maintained an ongoing project sustainability rate of nearly 80 percent, addressing health, social, environmental, and economic issues by responding to community priorities and offering training, grants, and volunteer support to community partners. Description of community partner: Mission: Promote and defend the economic, political, and social rights of women with attention to gender equality. Programs and Activities: The Association of Nicaraguan Women "Luisa Amanda Espinoza" (AMNLAE) was formed in Rivas in 1977 as an answer to the demands of women participating in bringing down the Somoza dictatorship. They obtained legal status as an NGO in 1990. Besides the main "Sonia Bello" county House, they have 6 other municipal Houses in an equal number of municipalities. These provide spaces for meetings, trainings, and education of the women and adolescents of Rivas. They are places where women come seeking medical care, legal advice, and therapeutic support. They are also places for learning technical skills in order to contribute to economic empowerment and development. The organization has 9 permanent staff and 10 part-time teachers for technical courses. There are 1,600 women associated with AMNLAE Rivas, distributed in the 10 municipalities where they have an organizational presence. The Casa de la Mujer also works with adolescents belonging to the Youth Network for Human Dignity, in which 17 groups of youth from 8 municipalities, for a total of 850 participants, organize and execute activities in coordination with adult women in their communities. The organization’s current institutional strategies include: Economic Rights
Political Rights
Social Rights
1. Defending economic rights
1. Develop and strengthen political leadership
1. Services for sexual and reproductive health
2. Strategies for promotion and communication of women’s participation in political spheres
2. Dignified housing 3. Security
Programs for 2015-2019: The Program for the Struggle Against Gender-Based Violence contributes to the appropriation of laws, procedures, and their exercise in the defense of women´s rights, providing legal assistance and offering services to victims in the process of making legal complaints, as well as psychological support. Its goal is to strengthen the knowledge and exercise of individual, social, economic, political, and cultural rights, and to promote emotional stability and healing from trauma. This program has existed in Rivas for 26 years, serving an average of 3,600 people per year. The Comprehensive Health Program is designed to improve health, with a focus on gender and an emphasis on preventative medicine and the sexual and reproductive health of women, adolescents and youth. La Casa de la Mujer has a clinic, which provides specialized care in gynecology, pediatrics, urology, and surgery, as well as offering counseling in sexual and reproductive health, psychosocial care, general medicine, natural medicine, and a clinical laboratory. The Power and Leadership Program empowers women by promoting their leadership and promotion to positions of power and decision-making at the local and national level, through feminist education, lobbying, and advocacy, regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity, religion, or social status. Social issue: The AMNLAE Casa de la Mujer “Sonia Bello” seeks to address the social issue of Nicaraguan emigration to more developed countries, (for example Costa Rica, Panama, United States, Canada, etc.) among women. This social issue is prompted by the lack of economic opportunities for women in Nicaragua and in some cases this issue is compounded by domestic violence, which leads women to change their circumstances by migrating to another country. Studies have shown that in the department of Rivas over 60% of all migrants are women between the ages of 25-40. The consequences and benefits of migration vary usually accordingly to whether a woman has fulfilled the legal obligations to immigrate to their destination country. Although economic benefits exist, there are also consequences for both migrant women and their families. Studies have shown that Nicaraguan women in migration: Experience exploitation in the work place due to limited access to information on the corresponding labor laws Often have irregular documentation that limits their ability to enforce their rights Suffer discrimination in the destination country Do not have access to important Nicaraguan consular services in destination countries Are more likely to experience sexual exploitation and/or be victims of human trafficking Are unable to earn sufficient income to adequately support their families back in Nicaragua The following is observed in families without a maternal figure present, for instance due to women in migration: The disintegration of the family unit Drug/alcohol abuse in adolescents Adolescents who engage in illegal activities and/or join gangs
Sexual abuse and exploitation of children and adolescents Deterioration of emotional well being among children and adolescents, causing mental illness Teenage pregnancy Abandonment of education, especially among girls due to pregnancy or because they are over burdened with responsibility supporting their younger siblings and managing the household
Impact of project on the community (Community engagement): The AMNLAE Casa de la Mujer “Sonia Bello” benefits women in the department of Rivas through a diversity of programs and services which provides comprehensive attention to women involving health services, legal counseling, psychological support, vocational training, rights education, and more. The situation of women in the communities where the organization has a presence would be improved through mitigating the consequences of migration at the household level. Empowerment of women and adolescents would improve family incomes and bolster economic development. Community involvement in this research project would include working with beneficiaries of the Casa de la Mujer’s programs to carry out research and collaborating with relevant institutions (such as the Ministry of Health, educational institutions, family, etc.) in the design of the research. Also drawing on the Casa de la Mujer’s network of women’s rights promoters and adolescents who form part of their youth network for human dignity. The organization’s beneficiaries and promoters would be an invaluable resource to undertaking the research. They would be able to assist research interns with carrying out the investigation in host communities. In addition, staff at the Casa de la Mujer would help participants design the methodology and lead meetings acting as facilitators and interpreters. Furthermore, the organization has a wealth of experience in research projects, having carried out studies on the impacts of Nicaraguan migrations in the past, on themes such as remittances, nutrition in the family, education outcomes, etc. Research project description: The organization would like to better understand the consequences of migration among women whose families remain in Nicaragua. Main questions could include: What are the primary risks that families face, and especially children and adolescents, when the mother figure immigrates abroad? What are the most common consequences of immigration at the household level? How does immigration affect the mental and physical health of children and adolescents? Among families affected by migration, what are the risk factors for domestic violence and abuse in families? How can government and civil society organizations better address the consequences that families face due to immigration? In the past, the organization has used studies on migration to forge important funding for programs in communities where the organization has a presence. For example, a study undertaken on education in a community with significant emigration among women showed that only 2% of the sample was able to attain post secondary education due to lack of economic resources (not remedied by remittances). After presenting the results of the study to the municipality’s town hall, the organization along with community members succeeded in garnering funding for 15 annual scholarships to gifted young people without the resources to further their education. For this research project, the Casa de la Mujer would use the data collected in the following ways:
Sensitize and publicize the the consequences of migration and the relevant human rights discourses Alert the corresponding institutions and authorities in order to promote human rights and generate solutions to the problems analyzed Buttress their proposal writing for projects related to this area of focus for the organization Share information with relevant government ministries (health, education, family, etc.) and nongovernmental organizations
Methodology: Revision of existing studies and secondary resources on the theme of Nicaraguan emigration Diagnostic survey within one or more communities (rural or urban) on the dynamics of emigration in their communities Comparing the situation of families affected and not affected by migration issues through interviewing a significant sample within a community Human resources permitting, compare data collected between rural and urban areas An individual participant could study one single community. Multiple participants undertaking the same research project could study multiple communities, both rural and urban. Student profile: Minimum intermediate Spanish Interest and/or background in social work, psychology, sociology, counseling, etc. Dedication and motivation to support the organization Interest in women’s empowerment & human rights
