Until recently, Nicaraguan women had something to celebrate on March 8, International Women’s Day.

decades ago the government eliminated some of the sexist laws that discriminated against women

Daniel Ortega’s government is chipping away at the very laws that put them in place. Nowhere is this setback starker than in women’s basic rights to life and health

The Nicaraguan government should take steps to ensure that human rights defenders are free to promote and protect women's rights without harassment or intimidation, Human Rights Watch said today.

nine women's rights advocates have been the subject of a criminal investigation into whether, among other things, they conspired to cover up the crime of rape in the case of a 9-year-old rape victim known as "Rosita," who obtained an abortion in Nicaragua in 2003.

"While authorities should seek to get to the bottom of any case of child abuse, it is crucial that criminal investigations not be misused as retaliation for legitimate efforts to promote fundamental rights

Member countries of the Organization of American

Member countries of the Organization of American

Member countries of the Organization of American

The mechanism for precautionary measures is established in Article 25 of the Rules of Procedure of the IACHR. The Rules of Procedure establish that, in serious and urgent situations, the Commission may, on its own initiative or at the request of a party, “request that a State adopt precautionary measures. Such measures, whether related to a petition or not, shall concern serious and urgent situations presenting a risk of irreparable harm to persons or to subject matter of a pending petition or case before the organs of the inter-American system.”

tool for protecting the basic rights of the people of the 35 states that are subject to the Inter-American Commission’s jurisdiction

Article 26 of the then Regulations provided that “provisional measures” were called for “[i]n urgent cases, when it becomes necessary to avoid irreparable damage to persons.” The formal establishment of this mechanism within the Commission’s Rules of Procedure and its gradual development through application in practice fit the pattern by which the inter-American human rights system has traditionally cultivated its mechanisms of protection. This article follows from the IACHR’s duty to ensure compliance with the commitments undertaken by

To reaffirm our support for the objectives set out in the Declaration of the Decade of the Americas for the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities (2006-2016) and its Plan of Action

advance in strengthening the protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of older persons through promotion of public policies, programs, and services, thus safeguarding their dignity, their physical, mental and social well-being, and their quality of life

To strengthen the administration of public security by governmental agencies through promotion of citizen and community participation, institutional coordination, and training and education of civilian and police personnel, with full respect for the rule of law, domestic law, gender equality, and human rights.

he term “human rights” is broad and encompasses numerous, more specific issues under its general umbrella, such as the rights to free speech, to political participation, to a free and transparent system of justice, and others

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has advocated for justice and defended freedom throughout the Americas

have affirmed their unequivocal commitment to democracy and human rights, and the Commission strives to ensure that this commitment produces tangible results.

Nicaragua is a multiparty constitutional republic, but in recent years political power has become concentrated in a single party, with an increasingly authoritarian executive branch exercising significant control over the legislative, judicial, and electoral branches. In 2011 the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) announced the re-election of President Daniel Ortega Saavedra of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) in elections that international and domestic observers characterized as seriously flawed

he principal human rights abuses were restrictions on citizens’ right to vote; obstacles to freedom of speech and press, including government intimidation and harassment of journalists and independent media

reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, many during confrontations with illegal armed groups in the northern part of the country

Sandinista National Liberation Front party continued to excercise significant control over all branches of government

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) ordered Nicaragua to provide protection measures to the Miskito people, after the ongoing conflict between the Indigenous community and colonos (settlers) attempting to take over the community's ancestral land escalated in September

Government officials and supporters sought to repress and stigmatize the work of civil society organizations and media outlets that had been critical of the ruling party

combines the efforts of community-based organizations, volunteers, interns, and donors to

Educate women on basic human rights and how to assert these rights

Support the rights of children against mistreatment, abandonment, molestation, abuse, drug dependence, and child labor through various education programs

total ban on all forms of abortion remained in force

Two thirds of rape victims whose cases were recorded between January and August 2009

were under 18