2004 Bridges Summer Research Report Alexandra Aquino-Fike Boalt Hall School of Law "Women’s Right to Land and Water in El Salvador and Nicaragua"

Purpose of Travel

The purpose of my trip to El Salvador and Nicaragua was to initiate an investigation on women’s right and access to land and water resources under domestic and international laws in both countries. I have tentatively planned for this investigation to last two to three years, and I plan on using my findings to form the basis of a master’s thesis or law school writing requirement. More importantly, the findings of my research will be used upon consultation with local and national level rural women’s NGOs to develop a training module to disseminate in an innovative and easy to understand manner information on what rights rural women have with regards to land and water. As a result of my work in both countries this summer, I realized that many organizations that advocate for rural women’s economic development lack clear information on rural women’s property rights and water rights. If they did have information on these types of rights, there was a need to create new ways, in collaboration with other groups, to defend and implement them.

Project Activities

My central activity in both El Salvador and Nicaragua was to compile and analyze studies conducted in the last 10-15 years on agrarian reforms, legal changes in women’s right to land and water in both countries, studies on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) by both countries and the new trend toward the privatization of water in both countries. While I have finished collecting all of the reports I need for the analysis required, I have created a sound database of the basic information necessary to understand the role of rural women in land reform and the economic and legal justifications of water privatization.

Vida Larios, President of the Leon Consumer Association, mobilizing local residents to organize in defense of their right to affordable energy.

Apart from compiling studies and data on women and land and water access, I also interviewed representatives of organizations that work with rural women on their right to land and water. In my interviews with these organizations I focused on asking the women what they consider to be their fundamental needs and obstacles with regards to their right to land, asked them to share some real life experiences in accessing land and water (both for drinking and for agricultural purposes). While my interviews were often informal, they gave me the best picture of what is the current state of women and land and water access in El Salvador and Nicaragua. More importantly, my personal interactions with a range of women, all invested in rural development, from educated professionals to extremely poor rural women inspired me to work in this field once I finished my education.

Finally, I also interviewed scholars and researchers at universities and research institutes to seek advice on how to best focus my study and how I might collaborate with ongoing national research projects (i.e. work with doctoral or masters candidates who are writing their theses on related subjects to share resources, conduct rural surveys together).

Outcomes of Travel

As a result of my trip to El Salvador and Nicaragua, I have established a strong foundation for my investigation. I have compiled and begun to analyze the most relevant and basic information on the history and impact of agrarian reform on rural women in both countries, as well more recent information on the trend towards the privatization of water. I have also been able to develop my investigation methodology and proposed outcomes. Most importantly, I have established contacts with key persons in both the nonprofit, government and academic sectors. I have been fortunate to have had rewarding interactions with rural development organizations in both countries, not only because of the invaluable information they provided but also because of their interest in working with me next summer. Several organizations have offered internship opportunities for next summer which would allow me to continue my investigation but with greater institutional support and would allow for my work to contribute to these organizations’ ongoing projects.

First ever Meso-American Women’s Conference; women from all parts of Mexico and Central America attended to develop a regional Women’s platform in response to the new U.S.-Mexico-Central America trade agreements.

Relationship of Research to Degree Goals

I came to law school to gain the skills and tools to be an effective advocate for rural women’s rights, particularly in the context of economic development in developing countries. However, I realize that in order to truly understand the socioeconomic challenges rural women face, I must learn from the women themselves; books won’t truly enable me to advocate for greater rural women’s access to land and water, but real life experiences, working and living with rural communities will. More specifically, I feel that because my research required me to initiate contact and develop a friendly working relationship with universities, nonprofit organizations, community leaders and rural women farmers themselves forced me to improve my public speaking and presentation skills, skills crucial for public interest lawyers.