Human Trafficking In Nicaragua Essay

After the Sandinistas were removed from power, the concern about the social welfare of the Nicaraguan citizens was lowered. The new focus of the government has been on the economic development of the nation. As the Civil Wars, have ended, tourists have determined that it is a new exotic location to visit. The combination of economic strife and tourism has led to a rise in human trafficking and sex tourism in the country. This is a detrimental after effect of a growing capitalist society and it directly affects the people that we will be working with in Nicaragua. The direct effects of this economic upheaval and the influx of tourism have been increased rates of the selling of women and children who have been living on the streets. They are

Human trafficking rose because people have been provided with few possibilities to make money. According to UNICEF, “A contributing factor is poverty. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean. GDP is $ 1,126 per person, only $126 above the limit of qualification of a middle income country,” (Nicaragua). This makes the nation look more economically prosperous than it actually is. Current laws are not designed to protect the Nicaraguan citizens. “Women are increasingly assuming sole financial responsibility for their families, and consequently, children are more and more responsible for their own well-being,” (Zdrojewski). Children should not be expected to provide for themselves. Unfortunately is has become increasingly difficult for their mothers to secure jobs and to be supported by the state. As Kampwirth has suggested of Doña Violeta’s presidency, in the early 1990s she closed down numerous services available to women including day care centers, marriage counseling funded by the state, services for battered women and contraception counseling (48). She as a female leader caused the empowerment of women to take several steps back. As the nation transitioned into a free trade capitalistic nation they let go of many programs that were supporting to women and

"Much of the time I am sad," says Maria a 15 year old prostitute. "It is hard on my self-esteem when you hear people refer to prostitutes as filthy little whores.” (Kovalevski). With the removal of the Sandinistas there has been a decline in the socioeconomic welfare of the Nicaraguan citizens. With that, many women and children have been forced on to the street and out of their homes. Until major organizations and governments formally criticize Nicaragua for the prevalence of trafficking and prostitution then there can not be a resolution for it. As Nicaragua rises as a tourist destination the ability for their people to make money through the selling of their bodies will rise and more education and systems need to be put into place to create a safer Nicaragua for all of it’s