Gender equality in Nicaragua

Gender equality in Nicaragua is highly ranked when compared to other Latin American countries. Globally, the World Economic Forum ranked Nicaragua twelfth in 2015, tenth in 2016, and sixth in 2017. (See § Rollback of Women's Rights below for context on the situation post-2007).

Nicaragua was amongst the many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which aimed to promote women's rights. However, Nicaragua has not ratified the Optional Protocol to CEDAW.

The Human Development Report ranked Nicaragua on place 106 out of 160 countries in the Gender Inequality Index in 2017. It reflects gender-based inequalities in three dimensions-reproductive health, empowerment, and economic activity.

Nicaragua has yet to achieve overall gender equality. Women in Nicaragua are more likely to face poverty than men and rates of violence against women still remain high, with reports indicating persistent impunity despite existing laws.

Nicaragua ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women on October 27, 1981.

According to the World Bank's Gender Data Portal, participation in the labor force between men and women differs. For the year 2016, women in the low income bracket accounted for 65 percent, men accounted for 80 percent. The middle income bracket accounted for 46 percent of women, and 77 percent of men. The high income bracket accounted for 52 percent of women, and 69 percent of men. A gender pay gap between men and women in Nicaragua exists. Furthermore, women spend significantly more time on unpaid domestic and care work than men, restricting economic participation.

When it comes to farming, there is inequality amongst men and women. 2016 saw 8.5 percent of women employed in agriculture, while 42.9 percent of men were employed. Men tend to own more land than women in Nicaragua. In the rural areas of Nicaragua, 65 percent of women are working on land that they do not own. Due to the fact that more men owned land in Nicaragua, and ownership in Nicaragua is linked to authority, programs in the 1990s sought to provide more women with the opportunity to own land.

Political participation by Indigenous and Afro-Descendant women on violence against women in Nicaragua have been beneficial to addressing and bringing to light violence against women. These contributions made by Indigenous and Afro-Descendant women have promoted women's rights through the telling of stories and has better equality for women in Nicaragua.

The importance of Indigenous history in relation to gender roles has an effect on gender norms today and these perspectives help contribute to a better understanding of how equal women's rights are across all ethnic groups.