Nicaragua: Empowering young women sex workers

Summary

The project raises sex workers´ consciousness and provides information about discrimination, violence, AIDS / STD risks, addiction and machismo, enabling them to access support and legal services.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

In Managua, approximately 1,500 women, ages 14 to 28, are victims of commercial sexual exploitation. Most of them suffer police abuses, violence from the community and from their clients (rapes, demands for unprotected sex, robberies) while they have a limited knowledge of their rights. The project targets 80 women, but ultimately will provide resources for many other sex workers and influence the larger community.

How will this project solve this problem?

Two groups of 40 young sex workers will attend eight workshops each to allow them to define their own protection mechanisms and form alliances. Women will receive educational materials and an informational directory of local service organizations.

Potential Long Term Impact

Through workshops, young female sex workers identify situations that violate their human rights and form supportive alliances. 100% of target women will be able to access resources to protect themselves against STDs, HIV/AIDS and sexual assault.

Project Message

TESIS provides young women with the necessary tools to empower them to know and defend their human rights at all times.
- Haydée Sánchez, Project Coordinator

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources