March 8, International Women’s Day, is a date to commemorate the strides and fearless voices of women in their fight for rights and equality. But it is also a day to highlight the many—and likely endless—ongoing struggles for women to live freely, under equal conditions, and without violence.
At The Voice of Guanacaste, we have documented stories for years that reflect the injustices, achievements, and living conditions of women in our province. Today, through eight reports, we delve into their realities, hoping that this understanding will inspire all of us to build a more equitable and violence-free world
1. Mother and Immigrant: A childhood marked by helplessness and courage
Nearly half of teenage mothers in Costa Rica are Nicaraguan. Girls who carry multiple layers of vulnerability on their shoulders: migration, poverty, and exclusion from a country they likely did not choose. Within the borders of the province, they face an uncertain fate, but courage becomes their most loyal companion.
2. This is how men who kill women try to evade justice in Guanacaste
Femicide perpetrators in Guanacaste have sought ways to escape accountability for their crimes. Joel Alberto Córdoba Núñez filed a report with the OIJ about the “disappearance” of his partner, Deire Odalia Ramírez. He moved in with her parents, claiming she had left. The reality was different: Joel Alberto killed her and hid her body, which remains missing to this day. This is one of the many stories of how those who take the lives of women in Guanacaste attempt to evade justice.
3. To the Afro-Guanacastecan Women
Singer-songwriter and writer Milagro Obando Matarrita is an Afro-Guanacastecan woman, one of many Guanacastecans descended from the Afro population—a root increasingly recognized in our province. In this piece, you will get to know a small part of her story. “I knew I was a black woman. I think I always knew. But what I didn’t understand was, why am I a black woman if I am in the Pacific territory?” says Milagro. In this other article, we delve into the stories of enslaved black women in Guanacaste.
On the cover of her book Noche sin luna (Night Without Moon), poet Milagro Obando Matarrita is cited as the first Afro-Guanacastecan writer.Photo: César Arroyo Castro
4. Fed up with violence, young women in Guanacaste unite to demand their rights
A wind of change has been blowing through Guanacaste since 2021, as several groups of young women have risen up to challenge the machismo and violence in the region. They form collectives that not only seek to defend their rights but also to transform an unjust reality they can no longer ignore. With courage and a contagious strength, these young women create spaces where sisterhood and activism intertwine.
5. 8 Pioneering women in Guanacaste
In our special feature for March 8 in 2022, we celebrated the pioneer women of Guanacaste—those who paved the way and broke barriers in sports, education, health, the environment, culture, and politics. Fearless in the face of challenges, they have made it clear that leadership has no gender and that to speak of Guanacaste—and of them—one must stand up. Don’t forget their names: María Leal, Joss Murillo, Margarita Marchena, Jennifer Powers, Jimena Ruiz, Rosa Alpina, Lía Bonilla, and Lucrecia Pastrana.
6. The Unpunished Femicide of Darys Mora
The murder of Darys Mora left a deep scar on a border town that still mourns her loss. More than just a victim, Darys represents all the women whose lives were cut short by femicide in a community split between two countries, where justice—like social well-being—seems slow to arrive. Her death went completely unnoticed in Costa Rica, as it is not even included in official statistics. If you want to listen to the podcast of this report, follow this link.
A picture of Darys Mora that one of her relatives has kept in a cellphone. Photo: César Arroyo CastroPhoto: César Arroyo Castro.
7. Guanacaste: Home to three women in TRANsition
In this report, get to know the life stories of Kenya, Vanessa, and Bárbara—three women in Guanacaste who broke stereotypes after the Supreme Electoral Tribunal approved, in 2018, the right to change their name on their ID according to their gender identity. Through their experiences, you will discover what it means to live in Guanacaste as a trans woman and the obstacles society places in their path.
8. Rhymes against women: When folklore strike
What does culture have to do with how gender roles are woven into the province? Guanacaste, a region deeply rooted in folklore, builds through part of it—songs, rhymes, and stories—that reinforce submissive identities for women: obedient and tamed like a mare. And as if building that stereotype wasn’t enough, men are depicted as the tamers, the riders of those mares, as womanizers and fighters.
This illustration was made by Daniela Jiménez Gómez, from Costa Rica. Her style seeks to communicate a woman’s strength and beauty in all its forms through colors and textures. @danijg22.
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