Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Women in Nicaragua
Women, especially in rural sectors, are likely to work outside of the home, and do half of
all agricultural labor. This stems in part from ideals espoused by the (original) Sandinistas,
who considered women equal players in the remolding of the country, but also from neces-
sity, as many men died or were maimed during the wars, or later emigrated to find work;
after the Contra War, the country was more than 55% female. The strong women's move-
ment is fascinating; check out Boletina at
www.puntos.org.ni
to learn more.
In traditional Miskito societies, women own the farmland and plant crops.
Despite loud protests by many organizations, in 2006 Nicaragua passed a controversial
law declaring abortion illegal even when the life of the mother is at risk. Women's groups
say the law has led to the deaths of dozens of women and mostly affects the poor, as the
wealthy (including the daughters of politicians) are able to travel to other countries for
medical attention without restrictions.
