Gender Parity in LatAm: Nicaragua and Costa Rica Lead the Way

Here’s something you might not be expecting to see: When it comes to fighting the gender gap, Nicaragua is the best-performing country in Latin America and the Caribbean. In fact, according to the findings of the Global Gender Gap Report 2023, the country scores 7th worldwide, sandwiched just between Germany and Mozambique.

And yet, Nicaragua is not the only country surprising us today with its results in the report put out by the World Economic Forum. Neighboring Costa Rica also scores decently well, the only other country to fall into the top 20 positions worldwide. This places the two small Central American countries with a combined population of 12M people ahead of developed European countries such as France, Portugal, and the Netherlands.

The report, published in late June, has been annually tracking progress on gender parity worldwide since 2006. It primarily focuses on parity within four key dimensions: Economic Participation & Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health & Survival, and Political Empowerment.

By these metrics, the WEF hopes, we can obtain a fuller understanding of where countries stand in the fight for equality and non-discrimination between genders. Through a mixture of policy, education, and healthcare, Latin America’s countries can ensure greater progress towards parity. And even the countries with the most way to go, such as Paraguay and Guatemala, can deliver better results for their women.

When we’ve written on gender empowerment in the past, we’ve focused on educational achievements or business acumen in major firms. However, the truth is that gender parity is inevitably a more holistic, well-rounded outcome, one in which men and women have access to the same opportunities across society.

Something which is best for us all.