Nicaragua currently ranks #7 in the world for gender equality

#1 for women in parliament

#1 in women’s educational attainment.

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

After making significant strides during the first stage of the Nicaraguan revolution (1979-1990), women lost rights during the neoliberal period that followed. But since 2007, women have been making steady progress due to programs that specifically target women—especially in the areas of health, poverty reduction, and fostering a culture free from violence.

HEALTH: Thanks to free universal health care, reproductive health education, and access to free family planning, birth rates in Nicaragua have now dropped from XX to 2.38 per woman. Innovative public programs such as 182 maternity wait homes—where rural women and those with high-risk pregnancies wait to give birth—have caused maternal mortality to drop by 67.7% and child mortality by 58.6% in 17 years.

POVERTY REDUCTION: Paved roads, improved housing, legalized land tenure, school meal programs, free health care, electrification, and potable water have all improved quality of life drastically, freeing women to participate in the life and leadership of their communities and of their country.

The Zero Hunger program gives women heads of household a pregnant cow, sow, chickens, feed, and seeds, improving the nutrition of 198,693 families in the last 17 years. The kitchen gardens program has given low-interest financing to 250,552 farms to grow basic grains, boosting the production of basic grains by 39% and leaving Nicaragua 90% food sovereign.

The Zero Usury program has provided 1.7 million microloans to 548,000 women at 5% annual interest. Nearly $422 million has been loaned through these programs, leading to the formation of women’s cooperatives and jobs for more women.

A CULTURE OF PEACE: Nicaragua has the lowest homicide and femicide rates in Central America and among the lowest in the hemisphere, as values of peace and women’s rights are taught from the earliest years in school. Women make up 33% of Nicaragua's police force and staff 293 women’s police stations around the country serving women and children victims of violence. Allegations of violence and abuse are taken seriously and handled quickly. These officers also conduct home visits to refer women for services such as food support and skills to become financially independent.  

#7 IN GENDER EQUALITY: According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, from 2007 to 2023 Nicaragua jumped from 90th to 7th place in the world, closing the gender gap by 80% in just 15 years. Women now participate in all levels of government. By law, 50% of elected officials must be women. Nicaragua is number one in the world for women in parliament and number one for women cabinet ministers. Women and girls were previously denied an education when it was an unaffordable luxury, but the first decree of the new Sandinista government in 2007 was to reinstate free, quality public education, which is now free from preschool through graduate school and vocational school. Nicaragua ranks #1 in the world for women’s educational achievement and women’s professional and technical employment.