[Witness spoke in Spanish, interpreted as follows:]
With regard to the difference in the experiences of women and men human rights defenders, firstly I should say that the accusations often refer to women as prostitutes. This is used as an insult. They also refer to our sexual preferences, which is something that's not mentioned when it comes to our male counterparts. Thirdly, I should say that in my case, when I was attacked for the first time, it was because they identified me as a human rights defender and a defender of women's rights. While they were hitting me, they were saying to me...they were attacking my identity as a woman and as a human rights defender. As another example, as Lolita was saying, they use threats against our children, which is rare when it comes to our male counterparts and our male colleagues.
Another factor I should mention is that women's organizations are the ones that have been most persecuted in Nicaragua. Human rights organizations and organizations for women's rights, such as CENIDH, the Nicaraguan human rights centre, are the ones that have been most persecuted. Sexual violence has been widely used against women. An additional point is that policewomen have been told that they have to show that they are just as strong, just as manly, as their colleagues, so these policewomen act very violently and aggressively, especially if they are detaining other women.
I do think that there is different treatment when it comes to women and men, and I should also mention that, in the case of Nicaragua, the LGBT community and LGBT groups have been a target. They have been a target because they have participated in protests. The government has truly gone against these LGBT groups. We have three colleagues who are transgender and are currently detained in the men's jail. They are receiving threats and abuse. They have been told that they have to undress, and they have had to do different exercises in front of men. That's in order to humiliate them, embarrass them and make them feel ashamed of their identity. That is something that I don't think we see as often with—