Ligia Gutiérrez

Asociación Grupo de Mujeres para el Desarrollo (MUPADE), Nicaragua

The Progress Nicaraguan Women have
made since the Social Development Summit

    Ms. Gutiérrez drew attention to the results of a study conducted on the progress made in Nicaragua since March 1995, on some of the Copenhagen Commitments.

• The legal aspects of Nicaragua’s political constitution were partially reformed in 1995, nine constitutional articles on women’s rights were added.
  
• In January 1998, a ministerial resolution on free zones was ratified, guaranteeing employment stability and respect for people working in the free zone.
  
• Act 230 of the penal code was reformed to prevent family violence and to punish the perpetrators as well as to recognize psychological abuse as a crime.

    One of the most important advances made in relation to legal instruments was the approval and implementation of the Childhood and Adolescence code that came into effect on November 23, 1998. It is the result of joint efforts by governmental and non-governmental organizations working on the issue as well as the National Assembly’s committee on women, children and the youth.

    In 1994, a national plan for women was established. The plan, coordinated by the Nicaraguan women’s institute (INIM), is responsible for ensuring that all forms of discrimination against women are eliminated. In 1998, the INIM was involved in establishing a national plan on violence against women and children.

    One of the most relevant steps taken since the Social Development Summit was the creation of the Consejo Consultivo de Género de la Policía Nacional [the national police force’s advisory
committee on gender issues]. The committee was given the mandate to develop appropriate policies to raise gender awareness within the force.

    In spite of the above, government policy on the treatment and recognition of the Nicaraguan family suffered a setback with the creation of a ministry responsible for family affairs because it does not recognise common-law families and single-parent families headed by women. These two categories represent a total of 30% of families in Nicaragua and most of them live in poorer areas.
The establishment of a women’s agenda is also a major political step forward. Women recommended that their issues be added to the political platform of the various parties during elections, and promoted meetings between the women candidates of the various political parties in order to bring the issue to the public’s attention.



Ligia Gutiérrez is with Asociación Grupo de Mujeres para el Desarrollo (Group of Women for Development Association) in Nicaragua.