The women´s Take Action! Center was created as a Safe House and Center of Empowerment to support Nicaraguan women experiencing domestic and sexual abuse. The organization established its centers fifteen years ago in the Nicaraguan capital, Managua and the northern city of Estelí within the framework of the women´s independence movement. In the spirit of this movement, our overarching goal is the promotion of women´s physical and psychological health and women´s rights in Nicaragua.
This is a pioneer effort in this country. Nicaraguan women living in high risk situations, who experience violence as a part of their everyday lives due to their gender, have barely any support in the form of crisis intervention and protection. Providing this kind of support for women who experience violence based on widespread gender discrimination in Nicaragua is at the center of our efforts at Take Action.
Here we define life without violence as a life where there is equity and equality between men and women.
Here we understand violence as a violation of human rights. We understand violence against women as a male chauvinistic exercise of control and power over women. This violent patriarchal mindset has historical, political, social and cultural roots in Nicaragua that build up and perpetuate inequality between the genders.
The efforts of Take Action! are directed towards facilitating women´s realization and exercise of their rights, to help them break the cycle of violence and make the decisions that are necessary in order to live without violence!
To this end, our solidarity groups go to outlying areas of the countryside to offer support to women experiencing abuse, and encourage them to leave their aggressor and come to the Safe House. Our solidarity group offers continued psychological and physical support to abused women in outlying areas, even if they do not come to the Safe House. We also offer outreach and support in the cities where our centers are located.
The programs included in the Take Action! Center are accessible to all women, regardless of her social, political or economic position, her age, or any other potential factors.
Our specialized staff uses an integrated approach to aiding women, which includes personal empowerment, as well as medical attention to physical injuries and other psychological consequences of violence.
In order to impose responsibility upon our society and the state to eradicate violence against women, we have established multi-sector relationships that have promoted a coalition of organizations and members of the population that work together to prevent violence and support women.
