Radios: A Lifeline to Safety for Nicaraguan Women

We're thrilled to announce that Wangki Tangni, MADRE's partners in Nicaragua, are now live on the air! This month, they launched the radio station you helped build.

This milestone is the result of months and years of hard work. Wangki Tangni long ago identified the violence faced by women in remote villages, often in their own homes, as a constant danger. But now, these women will know that they’re not alone – so long as they can tune into Wangki Tangni’s radio station. It’s a lifeline of support, telling them about their rights and how to find support and shelter from other women.

Rose Cunningham, Director of Wangki Tangni, greeted the first listeners:

"Today, we founded a radio station for the rights of the Indigenous women and their families. A station for the woman. A station for the girl. We’re going to struggle against violence against Indigenous women and their families. We will share information with you and train you in human rights. This is our station."

Thank you for supporting this vital work!

When we last reported to you, we let you know that thanks to your support, we were able to purchase equipment for our very own human rights radio station. And the good news keeps on coming!

We recently heard from Wangki Tangni, our on the ground partners in Nicaragua, with an update. They told us that just last month, with your support, we installed our brand new radio tower! This tower will broadcast our human rights radio shows to women in scattered and isolated communities across the region.

Through the solar radios that your generous support has already delivered to 115 communities, survivors of abuse will now get information on key protective services — like the shelters, medical care and legal services that Wangki Tangni and MADRE provide. Thanks to you, women facing violence will know where to go to find help.

Thanks so much for supporting this important project and for giving abused women in Nicaragua a vital path to safety.

In November, MADRE traveled to Nicaragua to deliver 200 new solar radios that your support helped to supply. As you know, these radios are not just for entertainment. Thanks to our soon-to-launch human rights radio program, they will be a vital lifeline for women confronting violence. That’s because our radio programs will broadcast information on the lifesaving, protective services available to survivors of abuse. Women will gain access to information on the shelters, medical care, legal services and more that our on-the-ground partners provide.

We are excited to report that the radios have been distributed to women in 115 communities along Nicaragua’s North Atlantic Coast. And that’s not all! We’ve just heard from our on-the-ground partners that we were able to purchase the equipment for our own radio station – we’re calling it Voices of Indigenous Women of the Wangki.

This is a huge achievement. Now that we have our own station, we no longer have to rent air time for our human rights programing. This means that we can broadcast more often and reach even more women facing life-threatening violence.

Thanks so much for making this lifesaving work possible!

Indigenous women living along Nicaragua's North Atlantic Coast rarely have opportunities to connect. They live far apart, in communities accessible only by a voyage of hours, or even days, on foot or by boat.

That's why the annual Indigenous Women's Forum, organized by MADRE's local partner group Wangki Tangni, is so vital. It gives women the chance to come together to share experiences. They can talk about the challenges they face, including violence. And they create solutions they can bring home and put into practice.

Next week, MADRE will travel to Nicaragua for the annual Indigenous Women’s Forum. And this year, we will deliver 200 solar radios to Indigenous women there—thanks to your support. These radios are not just for entertainment. They are a lifeline for women confronting domestic violence and other threats in isolated communities. Wangki Tangni will broadcast radio programming on women's rights and on how to connect to protective services. Thanks to you, women who are abused will learn their rights and find a path to our partners, who offer shelter, medical care, emergency relocation and legal aid.

Thank you for supporting this innovative, life-saving project!

Hundreds of women travel for days, on boats and by foot, just for the chance to hear each other. That's the Indigenous Women's Forum, organized each October by Wangki Tangni, MADRE’s partner on Nicaragua's North Atlantic Coast. Together, these women share their challenges and create solutions.

This year before the Forum, Wangki Tangni plans to create and broadcast brand new radio segments. They're choosing topics important to women in the community, including sexual and reproductive rights, and political participation. They will also share information on the support services and resources for women facing abuse. Women will be able to listen to these broadcasts as they prepare for the Forum. Then, at the Forum, they will have the chance to discuss what they heard on the radio, ask any questions, and learn more during workshops.

At the Forum, Wangki Tangni also hopes to distribute 200 new solar-powered radios. That way, even more women will have access to vital information on violence against women and their human rights.

Thanks so much for your support of this important project. We look forward to sharing updates with you from the Forum!