#8M: Eight women fighters in Nicaragua

This March 8, International Women’s Day, La Lupa presents eight outstanding Nicaraguan women from different walks of life who have overcome socially imposed gender barriers.

Amaya Coppens is a student leader and was imprisoned twice by the Ortega Murillo dictatorship. She is also the winner of the 2020 Women of Courage award.

Francisca Ramírez (“Doña Chica”) is a woman farmer’s leader and human rights defender of the anti-canal struggle. She faced constant persecution as an outstanding woman leader of the anti-canal movement and was forced into exile in Costa Rica in September 2018 after receiving death threats and having her activism criminalized.

Gioconda Belli is a Nicaraguan poet and writer, author of several novels, including «The country of women», winner of the Latin American Prize for Literature La Otra Orilla 2010.

Lottie Cunningham Wren, Miskitu lawyer and Nicaraguan activist for indigenous rights, and was internally recognized as one of the 4 winners of the 2020 “Right Livelihood Award”. Since 1980 this award has paid tribute to courageous agents of change around the world.

Mirna Blandón is a feminist leader and activist of the Nicaraguan Feminist Movement. She has been one of many critical voices against sexist violence and has been be sieged by the police under orders from the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.

Saira Williams is from the Autonomous Region of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua. She is the first Nicaraguan Afro-indigenous woman to build a solid-fuel rocket with which she participated in NASA’s SpaceApp Challenge. She has repeatedly stated that through her work she hopes to help girls and young women get involved in the space industry.

Sandra Ramos founded the Movement of Working and Unemployed Women «María Elena Cuadra” in 1994. The feminist and former trade union leader is wellknown in Nicaragua for raising her voice in defense of women’s rights.

Vilma Núñez de Escorcia is a human rights defender and founder of the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (Cenidh). She is one of the most critical voices denouncing the human rights violations of the Ortega-Murillo regime.