• "Struggling for Change and Survival," by Aynn Setright
• "Signs of Hope"
• "What Good Is It? Assessing the Impact of Alternative Credit in Nicaragua," by Dwight Haase
• "From the Women of Río Blanco to the World," by Nancy I. Bird
• "Challenges of the Nicaraguan Women's Movement," by Nicole Page
• "Fighting for Environmental and Economic Justice," by Susan Nossal
• "Defending Life and Indigenous Land Rights"
• "Curriculum Kit on Nicaragua Available"
• "The Demand for Credit Continues to Grow"
• "Emergence and Challenges of Rural Microfinance in Nicaragua," by Francisco Barquero
• "Cooperative 20 de Abril: NICA Fund’s New Partner"
• "Progress and Participation: A Cooperative that Works"

Francisco Barquero, WCCN's Loan Fund Representative in Nicaragua, completed his Ph.D. in 2002 with this doctoral dissertation, which examines a case study of the "Hand-in-Hand" community bank in Waslala, Nicaragua. It found three main factors that determine the success of women's participation in lending programs.

From the Spring 2002 issue of WCCN's Sister State Update

by Carlos Arenas, WCCN Executive Director

Plan Puebla-Panamá (PPP) is a set of transnational megaprojects related to: commerce, roads, tourism, electrical interconnection, telecommunications and environmental management. Mexican President Vicente Fox first unveiled PPP on November 30, 2000. The announcement was part of a very ambitious development plan for the South and Southeastern Mexico that would extend through all of Central America, as part of Fox’s vision to promote economic globalization in the so-called Mesoamerica region. After Fox’s announcement, multinational financial institutions gave their support, with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) acting as the main catalyst.

by Midge Quandt

In Nicaragua, President Enrique Bolaños is taking measures against the corruption of the previous regime of the notorious Arnoldo Aleman. This effort is pivotal to changing a political system based on the venal sharing of power by top political leaders, as Sofia Montenegro notes below in her April 2002 interview with Midge Quandt. Montenegro talks about how various groups are coming together to pressure the government to take action on this front. The groups include the Network of Women Against Violence, which WCCN supports, the National Feminist Committee (CNF), founded by Montenegro, and The Citizen Movement (MC) also organized by her.

From the Spring 2002 issue of WCCN's Sister State Update

by Rose-Marie Avin

What does globalization imply for women in the world economy, especially for women in Nicaragua? Globalization, defined as an "increased economic interdependence and integration in the world economy" through the expansion of trade, technology, investment, and finance, affects the lives of men and women everywhere. It is argued, however, that trade has a different impact on women than on men, given the patriarchal structures of societies, discrimination, and the marginalization of women in the Third World. The question is: Does globalization reinforce women’s inferior status, or does it contribute to their empowerment? Studies have shown that the impact is varied, complex, and multidimensional. In this article, I will discuss one important aspect of globalization: the rapid expansion of trade through the creation and proliferation of Free Trade Zones (FTZs), also known as "maquilas," and their impact on the socioeconomic conditions of women in Nicaragua.

• "FTZs and Women in Nicaragua: Exploitation or Empowerment?" by Rose-Marie Avin
• "Celebrating Women's Progress and Success"
• "Evaluating the NICA Fund's Impact," by Dwight Haase
• "WCCN's New Teammate: Jon Bishop"
• "WCCN Celebrates International Women's Day," by Nicole Page
• "Continuing the Celebration"
• "Bringing Home the Study Tour Experience," by Marilyn Leffler
• "Dorothy Granada Returns to Nicaragua"
• "Acting Locally—the CDAW Experience"
• "NICA Fund Partners: Financially Stable and Socially Responsible," by Dwight Haase
• "Weaving Prosperity: Señora Zeneida Hernández"

• "The NICA Fund: Filling a Basic Need for Credit," by Christina Jennings
• "Cambia, Todo Cambia . . . (Well, Not Everything)," by Julie Andersen
• "New Staff Members Join WCCN—Bienvenidos!"
• "WCCN Celebrates International Women's Day," by Judith Siers
• "Women’s Study Tour Learns from Diversity," by Leslie McAllister
• "Nicaraguan Election Brings New U.S. Intervention," by Donna Vukelich
• "The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence," by Judith Siers
• "New 'Legal Reform' Hurts Microfinance Providers"
• "Crisis on Nicaragua's Farms"
• "Central American Solidarity & Systematization," by Kristin Hoffschmidt
• "Attacks Intensify on the Women’s Movement," by Kristin Hoffschmidt
• "Borrower Profile: The Difference a Loan Can Make: Alejandra López"
• "Lions Found in Nicaragua," by Derrick and Janet Gee
• "Dorothy Granada to Visit Madison"

• "Cooperative Tradition Continues in Nicaragua," by Anne Reynolds
• "WCCN Attends Latin America Solidarity Conference," by Dan Rodman
• "Continuing Women's Cross-border Collaboration," by Kris Hoffschmidt
• "WCCN Celebrates International Women's Day," by Judith Siers
• "Curriculum Kit on Nicaragua Available"
• "For an Intern, a Study Tour is Just the Beginning," by Julie Rammer
• "The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence," by Judith Siers
• "Acting Globally—the CEDAW Campaign"
• "Borrower Profiles: What a Difference a Loan Can Make"
  • Cooperativa de Masiguito
  • Panadería Francisca
• "The Microcredit Context," by Julie Andersen and Christina Jennings

by Julie Rammer, WCCN Intern

A series of earthquakes and tremors have shaken the southern Pacific zone of Nicaragua since the afternoon of June 29, 2000. The first quake, 5.4 on the Richter Scale, hit hardest around the area of the Laguna de Apoyo (Crater Lake), southwest of Managua. The earthquakes have resulted in seven deaths, six of them children, and 42 injuries. In addition, upwards of 3000 families have been affected, with many still living in shelters or on the streets, too frightened by the recurring shakings to return to what is left of their homes.

by Julie Knop

I participated in WCCN's US-Nicaragua Women's Empowerment Project study tour of Nicaragua in June 1999, when WCCN and Nicaragua's Network of Women Against Violence co-sponsored a conference on stress and trauma reduction techniques. About 100 women traveled from across Nicaragua to Managua in order to attend.

I am a social worker and certified traumatologist, who has most recently been working with women who are survivors of domestic and sexual violence. As a former WCCN work-study student and Board Member, and former long-time resident in Nicaragua, the study tour was a perfect opportunity to reconnect with old contacts while, in response to the most recent disaster, sharing new skills I have acquired.