Women of Asociación de Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales Girasoles have spent their first year of work and struggle as legal enablers.

This April it has been a year since we were certified as ‘legal enablers’ by the Nicaragua Supreme Court (SC). We are the only women sex workers in the world doing this kind of work as a contribution to our society. We started by supporting only our peers but now we support any person who requires it.

We believe that as organized women we can make a contribution to society and that through our organization and peaceful coexistence with others we achieve a society with greater unity.

We are counting the cases in which we have intervened so that we can submit a report to the SC. Approximately 200 cases have passed through our hands. We have worked mainly in the districts of Jinotega, Managua, León and Masaya, providing advice, accompaniment and mediation services.

In Jinotega our focal point is Yamileth Garcia, who has worked alongside the National Police. As one of our leaders, Yamileth has coordinated the work of others and also supported extra-judicial mediation, that is, for the parties to solve their conflict through an agreement without having to resort to any Court.

Yamileth was awarded a certificate of recognition by the SC in Jinotega. Most of the cases in which she intervened were solved through mediation and those who were not have been referred to the corresponding Courts. In Jinotega, Yamileth has worked in collaboration with Lieutenant Javiera Portillo, from Legal Support services.

All the acts from the cases in which she intervened were delivered to Judge Analizetta Gutiérrez and our organization has kept copies for our files.

In Managua, Masaya and Leon the work of ‘legal enablers’ has been carried out at a more organizational level, with a liaison appointed by the National Police. María Elena Dávila, Johana Sequeira and Imogene Omier are the most active enablers in Managua.
In the city of León, our colleague Carmen Briceño has stood out as a legal enabler on behalf of our organization. Yesenia Alston works in Masaya, as part of the legal enablers team working at the Mediation House for the Courts of Nindirí city, Masaya.
We are very proud of our work as legal enablers.

We are now getting ready to submit our report to the Supreme Court of Justice. We want our work to be visible. Our goal is to eradicate the stigma against us and contribute our mite to our struggle for regulation of autonomous sex work (without procurers).

On April 20 we will launch our report together with Marvin Aguilar, the Vice-President of the Nicaraguan Supreme Court of Justice.