The Nicaraguan network of women against violence: Using research and action for change

Public awareness in Nicaragua regarding domestic violence has undergone a profound transformation in the last few years. Once viewed as a private problem affecting few women, it is now considered a major social problem. This is largely due to the work of a broad-based movement, spearheaded by the National Network of Women Against Violence, which includes over 150 women\u27s groups and hundreds of individual women all over the country. This Network conducted a year-long campaign which culminated in the passage of a new Domestic Violence Law in 1996. The process of drafting, lobbying and mobilising support for the new law was successful due to the creation of strategic alliances with politicians, government officials, community leaders, and professionals from a broad range of disciplines. Epidemiological and participatory research provided data that convinced policymakers of the need for reform. This paper traces the history of the anti-violence movement since the 1980s and describes the multiple strategies used to place domestic violence on the national political agenda