Seeking justice: Violence against women and the legal system in Nicaragua

Abstract

This article analyzes the experiences of women victims of violence, with legal institutions in Nicaragua. Based on ten months of fieldwork and interviews with 38 women from five state departments, the text examines how the routine practices of state agents such as police and prosecutors have an impact on women in their search for justice. It also shows the importance of a consultant who accompanies women in their legal process. At the theoretical level, it challenges the theories of representative bureaucracy and it identifies the limitations of punitive and legal strategies to eradicate the violence against women.