Week 13 blog: Gender Stats comparison for Guatemala and Nicaragua

I'm comparing women's lives and stats for Guatemala and Nicaragua.  Both are in Central America.   Guatemala is considered a lower middle income country, with low debt; Nicaragua is considered a low income country, and "severely indebted."


 I explored the following websites for nonprofits who work in Central America:
www.wedo.org-Promotes women's rights worldwide, founded and run by women
www.womenforwoomen.org-nonprofit dedicated to helping war survivors.  Both Guatemala and Nicaragua have suffered decades of civil war and unrest.
www.internationalwomensday.com-collection of statistics and call to action all over the world
www.wingsguate.org-human rights org founded in and for Guatemala by women. Dedicated to family planning
www.icas.net-women's & children's rights org in Nicaragua.  Dedicated to family planning and education.
www.aprofam.org-local Guatemalan org that focuses on local outreach for family planning.


ICAS has this written on their home page:
"ICAS identified the need to inlude the community (teachers, community leaders, local authorities, parents etc.) as active partners, to address the problems of adolescents and young people in relation to sexual health. The aim is to change and confront existing community norms related to sexuality and gender and improve the response to the needs of adolescents and young people. This is done through the promotion of civil engagement, with emphasis on critical thinking skills and skills which encourage social action. "
Many of the nonprofits listed above hold similar missions, although some focus on family planning and women's reproductive rights.  The goals seem to be focused on lowering birth rates, and increasing access to education and resources.  Central America countries share a similar culture of male domination and machismo; one's manhood and virility are tied to how many children one has, especially sons.  


From the Blackboard module, the Gender Stats website (http://go.worldbank.org/4TO17TU5C0) has some terrific comparisons available for different countries.  Comparing Guatemala and Nicaragua, we'll see some interesting differences and similarities.  Let's hope I get my interpretation right!  Blanks show unavailable data.

			Guatemala			Nicaragua
(All stats for females)			2000	2004	2008	2000	2004	2008
Adolescent births (15-19)			118.3	112.9	106.4	126	117.4	112.1
Contraceptive presence (15-49)			43.3	43.3		68.6		72.4
Literacy rate (% age 15+)			63.3	63.3	68.7	76.6	77.9
Primary educ. Completion rate			52.4	65.1	76.9	69.7	74.5	78.4
Labor force participation			43.3	44.1	50	39.7	44.3	48.6
Unemployment of female labor (% force)			1.5	3.7	2.4	11.2	8	4.9

Some basic interpretations can be drawn:
For Guatemala and Nicaragua, adolescent births have gone down as literacy and primary education has gone up.  Female participation in the labor force has increased, but unemployment has decreased significantly for Nicaragua.  Contraceptive use has remained constant in Guatemala, and increased in Nicaragua.


The non-profits and local organizations share the same goals of increasing women's reproductive rights, and control over their bodies and the size and health of their families.  Education for men, women, and sexually active youth to help increase health and safety for all is another focus.  It seems that cultural ideals, especially in rural areas, focus on the men taking the largest share of nutrition, money, and resources, to the exclusion of the females in their families.  Women and girls seem to be treated as family servants, subservient to the men and their sons.  They must give up their food, their education, essentially their lives, to support their men.  


However, women's lives seem to be improving in these countries:  women are having less children in their teenage years, the literacy rates are increasing, and employment is also going up.  Education for men and women means there is a cultural shift for all to receive an understanding of basic human rights.  Women are not baby-making factories, built to stroke men's egos, but that's purely opinion.  As women gain empowerment, they teach their daughters these lessons, and hopefully the daughters can build upon and pass along those same lessons, the create a more equal and free world, regardless of the income they earn or the circumstances in which they live.