Huck and Henna En Route

As a woman from Finland, I´m observing the lifes of women here in Nicaragua.
Soon after coming here I discovered, that I have to face the role of a women in Nicaragua. I feel powerless against the “machismo” power, and find myself being more and more annoyed every day because of it. It is easy for me to ignore it most of the time, just show my finger and walk away, but I´m aware of the fact that it´s not the same for local women.

In Laguna de Apoyo, the place where we took our one week spanish course, I got to know this subject closer.

I was wondering many times why our teacher is talking more to Huck than me. He rarely looked at me when we talked, and most of the guestions he wanted Huck to answer. At first I thought (eh..) that it is because he thought Huck needs some more practise, but soon I realized this was a totally wrong assumption. I am afraid the reason was something totally different.

I had a chat with the manager of the place, Jeffrey, about that. He taught me some nasty facts, using not so polite verbs, about the women world in Nicaragua. He also told me the sad story of Juana, the cook of the place.

Juana is the around 50 years old cook who cannot read or write. Jeffrey one day descided to teach her. She started to learn how to write her childrens and grandchildrens names. She was happy about it, untill, Juanas husband got to know about this. He got angry and beat up Juana.
Then he goes to Jeffrey and tries to hit him too. He doesn´t like the idea of his wife being able to read. She might get some bad ideas, become too independent, communist maybe. His own, lazy alcoholic, life would maybe start looking even more desperate. Juana “choose” to stop learning.

Some days later, in the mountains of Miraflor, we walk with Huck and our guide. A family passes us. Two men and two children on horses. The woman, not so young anymore, walkes behind. The terrain is difficult to walk for this women. It is a long, rocky and steep uphill. I start wondering why she´s the only one walking. Arlen, our guide gives me an explanation: She cannot ride, because she cannot wear trousers. Thats it. Of course. How stupid I was to even ask.

Did our teacher think it is more important that Huck gets more practis. Maybe he thought Huck gets angry if he teaches me as much as him. Maybe that all is so deep in his brains, that he doesn´t even think about it any more.

These thoughts in my mind, getting more and more bitter, I am walking here and trying to ignore all this. I am full with anger and frustration, don´t know how to react on them. One American women told me earlier “you cannot change their culture to Finnish culture”, which I agree.
But when is it about the culture and what does it mean? Can subordination and absence of ones human rights be a cultural thing? I don´t think so. I refuse to respect a culture that won´t support equal human rights for both genders.

Happened few days ago: I´m walking on a street alone. A young guy, maybe 17-19 years, starts following me. He starts talking to me, in a very low voice. He´s looking nervously around, like as if checking if someone is looking at us. I walk through a narrow spot, where  a car is parked on the side of the street and he sees his chance. He grabs my ass. I get furious. All the anger and frustration from the passed times returns into my mind. I turn around fast and try to cacth him but he is too fast. I´m running half a blog after him, being very close to get him, but don´t succeed. I shout all the nasty mean words I know and let him know what I think about him.

My friend Pete asked via skype what I would have done if I had catched him. I don´t know, but I guess it was goot he was so fast.

How did he learn that is the way to approach to women? Would his father be broud of his son now? Maybe I cannot change their sick machismo-culture, but atleast I can show, to Nicaraguan women, that there is always alternative for surrenderending to it.