Social_Inclusion_Analysis_Report-_FINAL_(Public).pdf

GENDER AND SOCIAL

INCLUSION ANALYSIS REPORT

July 14, 2017

This publication was produced at the request of the United States Agency for International

Development. It was prepared independently by the

Asociación Instituto de Estudios Estratégicos y Políticas Públicas (Ieepp).

The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United

States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

Acknowledgments

This report was written by Nelly Ramírez as team leader, Claudia García, Dayra Valle and

Félix Maradiaga, from Asociación Instituto de Estudios Estratégicos y Políticas Públicas

(IEEPP). The consultant team wishes to recognize the contributions made by

USAID/Nicaragua staff through working sessions and consultations.

The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the United States Government.

About IEEPP

The Institute for Strategic Studies and Public Policy (Instituto de Estudios Estratégicos y

Políticas Públicas, IEEPP) is an independent “think-and-do tank” based in Nicaragua with a regional focus for Central America. Since its foundation in 2003, IEEPP is dedicated to improving and supporting citizen participation in public affairs and providing conceptual and methodological support to citizens, decision-makers and NGOs with an interest in social inclusion and public policies for good governance.

IEEPP gives special attention to the analysis of national and Central American issues that contribute to more democratic inclusive societies and transparent governments. Our research focuses on topics such as transparency, good governance, social inclusion, human rights, violence prevention and human security.

In terms of our work with civil society, IEEPP provides training, advice and evidence-based reform proposals to civil society leaders and transparency activists to make their work more effective. Our methodologies are designed to go beyond traditional academic research methods in order to produce knowledge that is evidence-based and has practical value for advocacy groups and policy makers (state institutions, regional bodies, international cooperation agencies and academia).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Executive Summary

II. Research Objectives and Context

III. Overview o Significant gender and social inclusion issues for Nicaragua at the macro level (separated by target population)

National Overview

Gender

LGBTI

People with disabilities

Indigenous Peoples and Afro Descendants o Snapshot of civil society´s efforts o Projects from active donors in the country.

IV. Social Inclusion and Intersectionality Theoretic Approach

V. Mission´s Strategic Priorities and Associated Gender Analysis o DO1 – Citizen´s ability to engage in democratic governance will increase o DO2 – Safety and competitiveness of at-risk children and youth on the

Caribbean Coast will be improved.

VI. Methodology and Strategy

VII. Key Highlights for the Key Informant Interviews

VIII. Highlights of Focus Group Discussions

IX. Matrices of Analysis of Major Findings and Gaps o Health o Economic Participation o Violence o Education o Citizen Participation

X. Analysis of Major Findings and Gaps

XI. Recommendations

XII. Conclusions

XIII. Annexes

1. Selected quotes of key findings from key informants interviews and focus group participants.

2. Key international NGOs and donors’ social inclusion and gender projects in

Nicaragua.

3. Key civil society organizations working on social inclusion issues.

4. Bibliography

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report summarizes the findings from a Gender and Social Inclusion intersectionality analysis, which is based on socio-economic and demographic conditions of Nicaragua, and provides recommendations aligned with the anticipated strategic development objectives, which were provided by USAID Nicaragua. In addition to the overall country context and macro-level gender and social inclusion issues in Nicaragua, this analysis also considers the areas where USAID Nicaragua’s current program areas that are likely to continue into the next strategy period and provides recommendation on how to strengthen gender integration and social inclusion at the sectoral level. In Nicaragua, certain groups - women; indigenous peoples and afro-descendants; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons; and people with disabilities - confront serious barriers that prevent them from fully participating in the nation´s political, economic, and social life. Members of these groups are often marginalized and excluded through many practices, including stereotypes, stigmas, and violence, which make them vulnerable to persistent poverty and insecurity.

The most important projects on gender issues and social inclusion in the country led by civil society organizations (CSOs) have focused on quality and access to education, food security, citizen participation, sexual and reproductive health, gender based violence, HIV prevention, economic inclusion, governance, youth empowerment, and entrepreneurship.

The majority of these projects target youth, women and children. Many movements are highly politicized and the success depends on the organization or key members’ affiliation with the current ruling political party. Despite the current Nicaraguan government’s official position to prioritize gender equality and social inclusion, many CSOs have documented unreported cases of gender-based violence, slow uptake of prosecution against human traffickers, and lack of response to illegal encroachment into indigenous territories.

Findings from this analysis are complex and multi-layered. Key findings include: 1)

Despite the woman Vice President and the law mandating 50% quota for women political candidates in elections, women’s political leadership and meaningful participation is dismal, especially in the Caribbean Coast region and within indigenous communities. 2)

Although small handful of people with disabilities CSOs have succeeded in raising the visibility of their advocacy to secure their rights and increase accessibility to basic social services, people with disabilities in the rural areas as well as children with intellectual disability experience severe marginalization and are most vulnerable to physical and sexual violence. 3) Urban/rural divide as well as culture norms strongly influence the concept of rights and agency – e.g., Miskito community enforces strictly binary gender definitions and patriarchal structures that punish homosexuality and normalize a form of child marriage as well as rape culture as a rite of passage to womanhood.

There has been a significant decrease in social and inclusive economic development investments in the country. According to the review of international and national initiatives by international organizations, Government of Nicaragua (GON), and other donors, programs are almost entirely focused on the following non-political topics: education, food security, gender-based violence (mainly in rural settings), sustainable and economic development, reproductive health rights, maternal morbidity and mortality and poverty reduction. Other than USAID programs, there are no projects that specifically aim to create a positive environment for at-risk children and youth. Even with the widely lauded one-laptop per child initiative with Fundación Zamora Terán, a local foundation that promotes use of information and computer technology in classrooms, the use of techonology neither goes beyond linear text-based learning nor improves students’ reading skills. This landscape, combined with the deepened knowledge of those who are marginzlied, provides an opportunity for USAID to maximize its limited resources to support stronger and more integrated technology use, knowledge transfer, and training that specifically target and differenciate the approach for women and children in rural areas, LGBTI persons, indigenous and afro-descent peoples, and people with disabilites.

In the report, specific recommendations are provided for each proposed Development

Objective (DOs), Intermediate Results (IRs), and illustrative indicators that could be used to integrate gender and social inclusion into the next iteration of the Country Development

Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), and future projects and activities.

The report’s conclusions highlight some of the major trends that provide windows of opportunities:

1. Women and minority leadership, membership, and volunteers of NGOs have declined, but this is not due to the lack of interest. Therefore, USAID’s leadership training programs has an opportunity more effectively engage and nurture broader-base of potential community leaders.

2. Violent crimes against women persists according to the communities, but there are less officiallly reported cases. This is one of the issues that is bringing together people from different regions and backgrounds. Therefore, there are opportnities for USAID to raise awareness, support organizations that tries to both fill information gaps and demand application of rule of law, and prevent further gender-based violence incidents.

3. Several studies have noted greater influence of religious ideas in Nicaraguan society and there is increased internet usage and smartphones. This presents USAID with additional stakeholders and outreach tools for its programs.

4. Social justice as a new topic in the discourse among the civil society leaders, and gender and social inclusion issues have gained much more attention.

5. Official-government demographic and social inclusion data are outdated or inaccurate. Several CSOs have begun their own observatories or knowledge sharing networks.

The research findings are organized by following themes: health, education, violence, citizen participation, and eonomic participation. The information is presented as matrices to illustrate intersectional nature as well as complexity of dynamics among identities and demographic groups. In addition, the desk and field research revealed there are many research gaps. The lack of information limits the possibility of targeting and designing comprehensive development strategies as well as projects; therefore, specific research questions for more detailed project and activity-level issues are included at the end of the report.

II. RESEARCH’S OBJECTIVES AND CONTEXT

The gender and social inclusion analysis is a forward-looking document that applies the concept of intersectionality to socio-economic and demographic examination of the country. The analysis is aligned with the scope and aims of the anticipated development activities provided by USAI/Nicaragua. This analysis has considered the areas where

USAID/Nicaragua is currently working and provides recommendation on how the Mission can strengthen gender integration and social inclusion at the sectoral level.

The specific objectives of this report are:

■ Social Inclusion intersectionality analysis based on socio-economic and demographic conditions of the country.

■ Provide recommendations on how the USAID can strengthen gender integration and social inclusion at the sectoral level.

■ Provide concrete recommendations and their resource implications on gender and selected social inequalities mitigation measures that can be integrated into

USAID/Nicaragua’s Development Objectives (DOs), intermediate results (IRs), and sub-IRs, results framework (RF), monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), and

Indicators.

■ Full, complete, and up-to-date analysis of constraints to gender and other social equality in the areas where USAID/Nicaragua works for more sustainable development outcomes and more effective use of funding.

III. OVERVIEW

In Nicaragua, certain groups – women, indigenous and afro-descendants, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons, and people with disabilities - confront serious barriers that prevent them from fully participating in the nation´s political, economic, and social life. Members of these groups are often marginalized and excluded through many practices, including stereotypes, stigmas, and violence, which makes them vulnerable to persistent poverty and insecurity. Such practices can deprive them of their dignity, security and the opportunity to lead a better life. Social inclusion is a vital part of a country´s development and it severely affects the country´s productivity and prosperity.

A review of recently completed assessments and studies confirmed that a deeply rooted culture of machismo and widespread discrimination practices continue to be the foundation for gender inequality in the country as indicated in the USAID Nicaragua Country Strategy

2013-2017. Nicaragua has low-income inequality and moderate group inequality, but high spatial inequality. Isolated rural areas are the most impoverished and have the fewest opportunities to escape poverty. In the Caribbean Coast region, the conflict among the indigenous communities (most notably Miskitos), settlers, and authorities has caused increased insecurity.

The country´s legal framework in support of gender equality and social inclusion is relatively strong, yet the government’s ability to enforce this framework has been limited. It has a strong civil society and a wide variety of capable NGOs that attempt to address gender and social inclusion issues, but their efforts lack coordination and resources. The prominent role of ruling party affiliated institutions is well positioned to respond to local challenges but they are strongly centralized by government authorities and not always inclusive of non-party members.

Poverty statistics provides a glimpse of divisions and challenges. International Foundation for Global Economic Challenges (FIDEG in Spanish) in 2015 reported that 50.3% of

Nicaraguans live in poverty (defined as living with less than US$2 a day). The official survey of the National Institute of Development Information (INIDE in Spanish) in its 2014

Living Standards Measurement Survey indicate that Managua, relatively homogeneous and urban, has the lowest proportion of the population living in poverty and extreme poverty (11.6%) and (1.8%). This is a stark difference from the more rural and diverse central region that reports 44.4% of the population living in poverty and 13.9% living in extreme poverty, and the Caribbean Coast with 39% and 11.5% respectively.

Such disparity is also reflected in education statistics, which the latest available numbers are from 2010. There is a national average of 5.4 years of schooling with significant territorial inequalities: Average person from Managua reports 9.2 years of schooling, while an average person in the Caribbean Coast region has less than 4 years of schooling.

FIDEG, 2015, http://fideg.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/INFORME_DE_RESULTADOS_DE_LA_ENCUESTA_2015_-

_Versin_WEB_270616.pdf EMNV 2014; http://www.inide.gob.ni/Emnv/Emnv14/EMNV%202014-2%20Febrero%202016.pdf http://fideg.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/INFORME_DE_RESULTADOS_DE_LA_ENCUESTA_2015_-_Versin_WEB_270616.pdf http://fideg.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/INFORME_DE_RESULTADOS_DE_LA_ENCUESTA_2015_-_Versin_WEB_270616.pdf http://fideg.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/INFORME_DE_RESULTADOS_DE_LA_ENCUESTA_2015_-_Versin_WEB_270616.pdf http://www.inide.gob.ni/Emnv/Emnv14/EMNV%202014-2%20Febrero%202016.pdf

Access to work and schooling is also gendered. Among youth between 25 and 29 years old, the percentage that has concluded post-secondary education is 8% of men and 10% of women. 13% of men and 43.5% of women between ages 15-29 are neither studying nor working. Reaching higher education does not translate to better jobs or opportunities in

Nicaragua. Young female university students aged 20 to 29 are employed in low productivity sectors by 78%. Despite agricultural advancement and development, as there has been 32.4% increase in the amount of land allocated to agricultural activities in 6 years in the Caribbean Coast, 64% of women and 40% of men young people aged 20 to 29 years were engaged in low productivity sectors according to a study published in 2016.

Selected data for each demographic factor are listed below.

GENDER

Income gap despite leveling education level: Men earn 17% more income than women with the same educational level in Nicaragua (ECLAC 2010).

Unfair burden of adolescent pregnancy and childcare among teenagers: The incidence of adolescent pregnancy in women aged 15 to 19 is 20%, the highest in the region, yet only 3% of men under the age of 20 report having children.

According to a FUNIDES study, on average the age of the male sexual partner of adolescent girls is 5 or 6 years older than the girl . Adolescent girls are being impregnated by older men. Furthermore, key informants reported one of the main reasons is that many men and adolescent boys do not know they are impregnating girls.

According to the latest official Nicaraguan Demography and Health Survey

(ENDESA 2011/12)

, the percentage of adolescents (between 15 and 19 years old) with children or are pregnant is 20.3% in urban areas and 27.4% in rural areas. The departments with the highest percentage of pregnant adolescents are Jinotega and

Nueva Segovia at 29%) each and the Northern and Southern Caribbean Coast

Autonomous Region (RAACN and RACCS in Spanish) at 31%. Another reason could be related to pregnancies resulting from rape. Some determinants of mid-teen pregnancy (15-17 years old) include group pressure, rape, and sex under coercion.

Unequal parenting responsibilities: Machismo also dissociates men from parenthood. A study carried out in the context of the "What must be painful" campaign shows that 5 out of 10 of the male parent do not become emotionally and/or economically responsible for the baby.

Widespread violence against women: A recent study by a research team of

Psychology alumni of the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN-

FUNIDES, Causas y Consecuencias del Embarazo Adolescente, page 13 http://www.inide.gob.ni/endesa/Endesa11_12/HTML/endesa11/assets/common/downloads/Informeprelimina r.pdf http://www.inide.gob.ni/endesa/Endesa11_12/HTML/endesa11/assets/common/downloads/Informepreliminar.pdf http://www.inide.gob.ni/endesa/Endesa11_12/HTML/endesa11/assets/common/downloads/Informepreliminar.pdf

Managua) revealed that 7 to 8 out of 10 Nicaraguan women "suffer repeated violence, whether physical or psychological on behalf of their partners." The IML study concludes that violence against women is a major problem in Nicaragua, with a rate of 104 to 289 legal medical examinations for violence against women per

100,000 inhabitants, which surpasses the parameters of the World Health

Organization (WHO), that indicates that rates higher than 10 per 100,000 are considered abnormally high and hence indicative of an epidemic. (IML 2016)

According to IML 45% of the violence against women cases were domestic violence, 31% were victims of physical violence, 23% of sexual violence, and approximately 1% of psychological violence. (IML, 2016) Of the total number of complaints on sexual offense, 83% are submitted by women. Additionally, of the total number of domestic violence cases 81% are filed by women. (IML 2016)

Intimate partner violence prevalent in many different ways: 42.8% of women have experienced verbal violence in urban areas and 28.1% in rural areas. 23.4% of women suffered physical violence in urban areas and 15.2% in rural areas. Men’s susceptibility to physical violence: Of the total claims for physical injuries, a clear majority (63%) of victims are men.

Women of all backgrounds vulnerable to violence: According to the IML in 2015, 60% of the total reported incidences were from women. Of those women, 34% were housewives, 27% were students, 11% were service workers, and 5% were other professionals.

Improved gender parity in political participation, but meaningful participation questionable: Nicaragua has high levels of political participation of women due to a quota system incorporated in a reform to the Electoral Law in 2012, stating

“Political parties or alliances of parties that participate in the municipal elections, deputies of the National Assembly and the Central American Parliament, must include in their lists of candidates’ fifty percent of men and fifty percent of women ordered equitably and presented alternately.” (Art. 82). As a result, the country currently has 50% of mayors, 49.8% of deputy mayors, 50.4% of women councilors, 51% of deputy councilors and 58.1% of women parliamentarians.

However, several civil society organizations that focus on supporting women´s rights claim these numbers do not express the reality, since women in these positions do not have significant leadership or influence.

LGBTI

Systemic isolation and exclusion of gender and sexual minorities: Intense, unrelenting, and often intentional discrimination have devastating consequences that range from concealment and latent fear, psychological and physical suffering from various types of aggression, suicide attempts, to addiction as an escape valve. This limits the human potential and possibility for gender and sexual minorities from constructing positive images of themselves and becoming productive and fully integrated members of their communities.

Critical information gaps: Although the most comprehensive study on the LGBTI population in Nicaragua presents various gaps and barriers, unfortunately information on intersex people living conditions is not available.

More susceptible to poverty: 76.7% of LGBTI people live in poverty with US$2 or less per day. Of these, 45% live on less than $1 a day, even though 73.4% are employed, their income is precarious.

Wide-spread discrimination and violence at home and public spheres: 100% of

LGBTI people report having been discriminated against in school; 48.5% by their families; 22.9% in their jobs; and 11.7% by medical staff. 48.6% have suffered physical violence and 2 out of 10 are rape victims. 2.1% report they suffer from violence occasionally, 21.2% often and 6.7% always. In 66.1% of cases of violence, they were attacked in public spaces, 6.3% at work, 20.8% at home and

6.8% at school. Incidences of violence in schools and other discriminations are higher outside Managua.

Within the LGBTI community, those who are more visible experience more violence:

Of all types of violence, those who suffer violence the most are transwomen

(79.5%), lesbian (49.8%), gay (44.6%), bisexual (19.4%) and transmen (36.4%).

Younger people experience more violence: The ones who suffer more violence range between 26-35 years old (40%) and between 19-25 years old (36.7%).

Lack of education attainment: 69.6% drop out of school (primary and secondary education) due to financial problems.

The highest academic level attained amongst

LGBTI population is university (27.9%), technical (7.7%), secondary (48.3%), primary (12.1%), illiterate (2.3%) and literate (1.7%).

Many LGBTI persons do not feel basic human rights are respected: 72.3% claim that there is no respect for their human rights by the media and 84.2% perceive that there is no respect in general by society.

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Available data on people with disability is outdated: According to the Census conducted by the Ministry of Health "Todos con Voz" (2009), people with disability in Nicaragua are 2.5% of the total population. 49% of the people with disability are men and 51% are women. This is the latest official report on disability in the

"A look at sexual diversity in Nicaragua," Strategic Group on Human Rights of Sexual Diversity (2010) https://www.oie-miseal.ifch.unicamp.br/pf-oiemiseal/public-files/una_mirada_a_la_diversidad_sexual_en_nicaragua.gedds_2010.pdf The report specifically indicates (pg. 27) “3 out of 4 people who report having dropped out did it due to financial or health problems.”

https://www.oie-miseal.ifch.unicamp.br/pf-oiemiseal/public-files/una_mirada_a_la_diversidad_sexual_en_nicaragua.gedds_2010.pdf https://www.oie-miseal.ifch.unicamp.br/pf-oiemiseal/public-files/una_mirada_a_la_diversidad_sexual_en_nicaragua.gedds_2010.pdf country. Information on compliance with laws and regulations related to people with disabilities are also not available.

A wide range of disabilities: Of the people with disabilities, 36.9% have a physical and mobility impairment, 25.9% have an intellectual disability, 12.7 have a visual disability and 10.1% have a hearing and sensorial disability. Reasonable accommodations often are not available to meet the needs of various types of disability.

People of all ages with disabilities: 33.3% of people with disabilities have 60 years of age or older, 20.4% are between the ages of 40 and 59, children and adolescents represent 24.1% of the total.

Lack of education attainment: 41% of people with disabilities lack schooling, 19.1% have a pre-school education, and 25.7% have primary education, more than 85.8% of the total population with disability have less than basic preparation. Only 2.7% have attended university and 7% have some technical education. The Educational

Orientation Unit of MINED only report having 130 teachers who rotate through regular study centers to attend students with educational needs associated or not with a disability.

Low employment and compounded effect when combined with gender inequality:

48.58% are unemployed and only 12.29% have employment or are self-employed.

Women with disability face greater bias to stay home. Families, whether for fear of security or shame, do not encourage the women with disabilities to go outside their homes. Data shows that three out of ten women with disability perform more household shores than the rest of their family.

Geographic concentration. Nearly half of the people with disabilities in Nicaragua live in five departments

Department Percentage of the population with disabilities

Managua 24.5%

León 8.9%

Jinotega 7.2%

Chinandega 6.8%

Matagalpa 6.8%

Ubiquitous discrimination and violence: 98% of people with disabilities suffer from some type of physical, verbal, economic and/or sexual violence. Children with disabilities are 3.7 times more often victims of violence than children without disabilities. (Federation of Associations of Persons with Disabilities) and only one in eleven of those who have suffered physical violence filed a complaint with the

Police. The prevalence of sexual violence against women is highest in the http://www.cawn.org/assets/toolkit_FEMUCADI%20doc.pdf http://www.cawn.org/assets/toolkit_FEMUCADI%20doc.pdf

Caribbean, where one in five women with disabilities "live or have experienced sexual violence."

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND AFRO DESCENDANTS

Demographics of the Caribbean Coast where most indigenous peoples and afro descendants have historically been the majority have been changing: The highest rate of population growth due to migration in Nicaragua is recorded on the

Caribbean Coast, and is due to a net increase in mestizo families that are systematically settled in the agricultural frontier zones. 33.3% of the total population of the Caribbean Coast is based in urban areas, while 66.7% is in rural areas.

Limited access to basic services and rampant poverty: On the Caribbean coast, 43.0% of the population over 10 years old is illiterate, which rises to 55.0% in rural areas. The national average of illiteracy is 24.5%. Between 73.6% and 75.0% of the population of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast lives in poverty and extreme poverty. Residents who have been able to get a job receive a very low income that only covers 50% of the basic food basket, and 80% of that income goes to the purchase of food products. Only 82% of indigenous or Afro-descendant people complete primary education. The figure plunges to 70% among those living in rural areas. Only 40% complete secondary education in the urban areas and 20% in the rural areas. (ECLAC, 2010b). In Nicaragua, less than 5% of indigenous people aged 20 to 29 in rural areas have 13 years of education or more (ECLAC, 2014)

Dismal employment and economic status for the region most populated by the indigenous peoples and afro descendants: In the Caribbean Coast, the proportion of the population employed in the informal sector is very high. In rural areas, 84% of men and 80.8% of women, in urban areas 65.2% of men and 69.3% of women.

Underemployment affects almost 60% of rural women and 44% of urban women, versus 32% of rural men and 24% of urban men employed.

More pronounced gender gap: Only 15.4% of the registered property is owned by women, and 94.3% of female landowners own less than 14 hectares of land, versus

33.7% of men. The group with the lowest access to credit in the country are the rural women of the Caribbean Coast, who obtain only 18% of the loans granted and

6.5% of the corresponding total credit mass.

Fractured ethnic groups that feel discriminated by each other: Creoles, Miskitos, and Ulwas feel discriminated against mainly by Mestizos, but Miskitos and Ulwas also feel discriminated against by Creoles. Moreover, Ulwas feel discriminated against by Miskitos. It appears that the smaller the minority group, the greater the experience with discrimination by larger ethnic groups. (LAPOP)

Statistical Yearbook for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) http://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/37647/S1420569_mu.pdf http://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/37647/S1420569_mu.pdf

Increasing incidents of human trafficking: In the Northern Caribbean Coast

Autonomous Region (RACCN) municipalities, particularly those along the coast and Honduran border (esp. Puerto Cabezas and Waspam), the communities and

NGOs report that despite the increased human trafficking incidences, cases are not investigated by the police.

Higher exposure to illicit activities among indigenous communities: Those who identify themselves as Miskito report more awareness of illegal drug sales in their neighborhoods than those who describe themselves as mestizos in Puerto Cabezas, Prinzapolka, and Bonanza.

Snapshot of Civil Society efforts in Nicaragua

The most relevant efforts, measured by its ability to reach important portions of the population on gender and social inclusion issues in the country, by civil society organizations have focused on projects on equal opportunities in education, food security, citizen (especially indigenous women) participation in political and civic processes, sexual and reproductive health, gender based violence, HIV prevention, economic inclusion, socio-economic research, governance, youth empowerment and entrepreneurship.

There is a higher percentage of ongoing CSO projects that focus on youth, women and children than those working with people with disabilities, LGBTI and/or indigenous and afro-descents people.

Selected key organizations working on social inclusion and gender in the country expressed increasing concern about the lack of funding opportunities for their projects.

IV. SOCIAL INCLUSION AND INTERSECTIONALITY THEORETIC APPROACH

This research analysis asserts that social inclusion seeks the productive and social insertion of people who, due to their condition or socioeconomic situation and structural inequalities are excluded from the dynamics of development, limiting their effective membership in society and a full exercise of citizenship, generating more social inequality. (Inclusive

Social Development, Jan 2016, ECLAC)

The analysis of inequalities refers to the asymmetries in the capacity to appropriate resources and productive assets and the exclusion and inequitable distribution of political and economic power, means and opportunities, level of income, access to education, health, Please see Annex III of selected key Civil Society Organizations in Nicaragua working on Social Inclusion and Gender.

It also considers the definition provided by the World Bank of “Social inclusion is the process of improving the ability, opportunity, and dignity of people, disadvantaged based on their identity, to take part in society.”

decent work conditions, social protection and opportunities for social participation. (The social inequality matrix in Latin America, Oct. 2016, ECLAC)

The Intersectionality has also been considered to address social inclusion at different intersections of identity, social position and policies or institutional practices. This approach contemplates the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, and it is regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.

Based on research findings and the Gender and Social Inclusion Analysis objectives, the report also structures recommendations based on the intersectionality approach as applied to the different levels of marginalization and needs of men and women, LGBTI, indigenous and afro-descent peoples, and people with disabilities for the selected sectors: health, education, political participation, economic participation, and citizen security/violence.

V. MISSION´S STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND RELEVANCE OF THE GENDER

AND SOCIAL INCLUSION ANALYSIS

As considered in the new five-year strategy that follows current Country Development

Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), which has been extended until 2019, USAID/Nicaragua aims to prevent erosion of national democratic governance and citizen insecurity along

Nicaragua’s Caribbean Coast, through revisions to the two current Development Objectives

(DOs).

Research findings on the social inclusion spectrum validate both DOs continue to be an important challenge for Nicaraguan development. To provide an insight that can be helpful to make decisions at CDCS level and help identify where additional analysis might be needed at the project and activity level, the following issues have been identified:

DO1 – Citizen´s ability to engage in democratic governance will increase (focus on youth and the rural/urban divide) by (IR 1.1) increasing effectiveness of local governance, (IR

1.2) increasing advocacy for democratic processes, and (IR 1.3) increased dissemination of independent information.

There has been a notable reduction in donor investments in the country. From the international and national initiatives reviewed (from international organizations, Government of Nicaragua (GON), and foreign government´s aid) there is practically no emphasis on democratic governance, freedom of speech and/ or advocacy for democratic processes. (Please see Annex II for a list of projects, donor, and focus)

The main emphasis for these projects is placed on:

1. Education (World Bank, Spanish government, IDB, EDUCO);

2. Food security (Action Against Hunger, TROCAIRE);

3. Gender-based violence (in rural settings) (Gruppo Di Volontariato Civile);

4. Sustainable development (European Union, WE EFFECT);

5. Reproductive Health Rights (Health Limited);

6. Maternal morbidity and mortality (IDB);

7. Poverty (IDB, SDC, TROCAIRE); and

8. Economic Development (ICCO, PADF, Plan International).

DO2 - Safety and competitiveness of at-risk children and youth on the Caribbean Coast will be improved by (IR 2.1) improving reading performance, (IR 2.2) increasing work force and life skills, and (IR 2.3) increasing community engagement in creating a positive environment for at-risk children and youth. Although a handful of donors engage in related programming, their prorgams do not outline specific plans to include and address the differenciated needs of children and youth from marginalized communities.

For example, The international community that continues to work in the country and the GON is actively addressing education backlog in children. The most important initiatives are currently funded by the World Bank with two main projects, the Alliance for

Education Quality Project (March 2017) for US$ 55 million and the Support to the

Education Sector Project (PASEN 1 and 2, USD$ 34.14 million) scheduled to finish

December 2017. The main objectives of these Projects are to: (a) improve the students' retention rate in primary schools of participating municipalities; (b)

Improving the quality of Teaching Methods, c) strengthening the Ministry of

Education´s (MINED) education management capacity; and, d) Improving physical conditions in targeted schools. These programs do not specify any gender and social inclusion approach, outline non-discrimination or anti-bullying policies, or target specifically marginalized children and youth.

In reference to increasing work force and life skills there are several technical training and economic development programs with youth focus. Programs leaded by

EDUCO (Spanish NGO), ICCO, Plan International, the Pan American Development

Foundation, the European Union and the Spanish government focuses on basic training programs in management, trades and culture of savings, strengthening small companies and startups thorough mentorship, business plan formulation and networking. These programs neither mention any gender and social inclusion approach nor strategically target marginalized children and youth.

Other than current efforts by USAID/Nicaragua, there are no projects identified specifically aimed to create a positive environment for at-risk children and youth at the community and/or school level.

From the overview of the current initiatves in the country there are no projects focusing on the use of techonology to go beyond linear text-based learning, improving the student´s reading skills and to provide proper skills for the work force and to improve people´s life. This is an interesting opportunity for USAID, due to its limited resources to support projects with strong technology use, transfer and training components mainly for women and children in rural areas, LGBTI, indigenous and afro-descent peoples and people with disabilites.

VI. METHODOLOGY AND STRATEGY

The Gender and Social Inclusion Analysis is structured with an intersectional approach and a mixed-method by collecting and analyzing qualitative data via focus groups and in-depth interviews.

The methodology and specific tasks as approved in the Work Plan were;

Phase 1: Desk Research, review and analysis of pertinent literature, documents, and indices, including descriptive statistics;

Phase 2: Consultations with Stakeholders & Field Study Focused on Information

Gap, which consisted in meetings and discussions, 17 Key Informant Interviews

(opinion leaders, academics, researchers, activists, CSOs managers) and focus groups. The team consultants conducted 5 Focus Groups to cover four priority regions: (1) Northern Region of the Country; (2) The Dry Corridor of the country,

(3) The Northern Region of the Caribbean Coast (RACCN), and; (4) The Southern

Region of the Caribbean Coast (RACCS), for the overall-national perspective. The

Focus groups included opinion leaders and subject matter experts and CSOs leaders for gender, LGBTI, indigenous people, afro-descent communities and people with disabilities. The key informants and the focus groups participants were selected considering the representativeness of different interest groups and they were designed considering generational difference and included organizations with young and elder leadership;

Ever since 2009, the international NGO One Labtop Per Child in partnership with the Fundación Zamora

Terán, a non-profit organization based in Nicaragua, more than 45,000 laptops have been distributed to children in Nicaragua, this program has benefited a limited amount of children and Nicaragua and its impacts on the quality of education remain unknown. (https://blogs.worldbank.org/impactevaluations/one-laptop-per-child-is-not-improving-reading-or-math-but-are-we-learning-enough-from-these-evaluati) http://fundacionzt.org/en/ http://fundacionzt.org/en/ https://blogs.worldbank.org/impactevaluations/one-laptop-per-child-is-not-improving-reading-or-math-but-are-we-learning-enough-from-these-evaluat https://blogs.worldbank.org/impactevaluations/one-laptop-per-child-is-not-improving-reading-or-math-but-are-we-learning-enough-from-these-evaluat

Phase 3: Analysis of the Findings and Formulation of Recommendations consisted in a comprehensive approach of laws, policies and regulations, cultural norms and beliefs, roles, responsibilities, and time used, access to and control over assets and resources and patterns of power and decision-making to structure findings and recommendations at a macro and sectoral level.

VII. KEY HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS

The key informants’ interviews were designed to collect information from a wide range of people—including community leaders and/or professionals, with first-hand knowledge about the research objectives and target population. The interviewees provided qualitative and descriptive information, an understanding of the perspectives, behavior and motivations of members of specific communities, interpretations of quantitative data and, provided key recommendations for this research.

The interviews validated much of the desk research findings and conclusions, and gave valuable feedback to design the focus group guidelines in a way the interaction amongst participants could provide a local perspective.

Main findings:

■ The most vulnerable population in the country are children with intellectual disability, women with disabilities, rural indigenous women (mainly Miskito), and young women in rural areas.

■ The RACCN is a more challenging region for implementing programs due to strong influence of communal and territorial authorities, greater degree of insulation, violence between Miskitos and settlers, and extreme poverty.

■ In the RACCN and the RACCS, two major challenges identified are: 1) The presence of logging, African palm and mining companies as a serious livelihood and food security challenge to indigenous and afro-descendent communities, and; 2)

Members of political and economic elites, most often mestizos, in the RAACS have greater influence and access to central government authorities in comparison to indigenous and afro-descendent communities, limiting the proper representation and advocacy of their rights.

■ Widespread and consistent discrimination in the country against LGBTI, people with disabilities, and women is the main cause for exclusion, violence and marginalization.

■ Development projects are often not designed with an inclusive and participatory approach (especially in ensuring that the design of project’s performance indicators take into consideration the differentiated needs of the marginalized communities).

For the list of key informants, please see Annex IV: Key Informant Profiles.

Monitoring and evaluation systems currently do not include a strong local empowerment perspective, local capacity-building and long-term interventions.

Key informants also recommended that project design should have a much more local approach considering particular differences, such as, the urban-rural divide and the participating ethnicities, in such a way that intervention strategies are adapted, as far as possible, to local realities, considering localities below municipal level, such as communal governments and the supra-municipal spaces such as the territorial governments and the communal councils.

There was a high regard for the project developed by FADCANIC in the Caribbean Coast, providing work alternatives for young people that are culturally appropriate for the region’s diveristy; nonetheless they mentioned the main challenge is the impact it can also have reducing local socio-economic conditions that represent a risk for youth development. Key informants expressed that the lack of synergy among projects has made them less effective.

They advised projects to have complementary activities amongst them and increase coordination among implementing partners.

In addition, people with disabilities who participated in the Focus Group in Bluefields pointed out that the FECONORI / Global Communities Project has allowed them to organize and provided them with an opportunity to learn about their rights and resolve differences amongst different advocacy organizations. They also expressed that the Project contributed to change the government´s perception of people with disabilities who were previously regarded as “beggars” and know they recognize they can also elaborate proposals and have a much more proactive role.

During the Focus Group discussions, more details about the state of trafficking in persons

(TIP) emerged. Despite a lack of reliable data and a reported reduction in the official government statistics on the incidences of TIP, there are several alarming concerns raised by community stakeholders. Key findings include:

When the members of CEDJUHCAN conducted a baseline study (2016) to determine the main violence issues in 21 of their communities, it revealed that several Miskito adolescents in these communities were TIP victims. The victims were said to be taken to Puerto Cabezas and Panama.

Focus group participants in Bilwi mentioned that TIP is not an issue normally discussed among community members because people feel “ashamed,” and also because in many cases parents themselves “give” the girls and adolescents to the offenders in exchange for money. They particularly noted high levels of vulnerability in the communities alongside the Rio Coco due to its proximity with

Honduras. They mentioned the Rio Coco has traditionally been a settlement for

Honduran drug traffickers who capture and hold hostage girls and teens from the communities “for weeks or months.”

Indigenous transgender women are also extremely vulnerable to labor trafficking.

Natty González from ANDISEX and also a member of the Regional Government and of "Diverse Communities," she knows of cases of indigenous transgender women in the Bilwi area who were taken under the promise of false work opportunities and later held captive working under severely hazardous conditions.

In Bluefields, TIP cases are mainly for sexual exploitation and related to drug traffickers. Illicit organizations particularly target young people. Víctor González from FADCANIC, who is currently working on the "Change now, stop the violence" campaign, said "there are networks of facilitators of girls and adolescents to drug traffickers. These networks involve women, who serve as recruiters who convince teens to have sex with narcos in exchange for money or specific goods

(i.e. cell phones, clothes, shoes). Taxi drivers also play a key role in this network, they also identify and transfer victims.”

The participants of the Focus Group in Bluefields mentioned that due to poor economic conditions of the city teen girls are an easy prey for TIP networks for sexual exploitation. They also noted that while Afro-descendant, mestizo and indigenous women are victims of traffickers, indigenous women are more vulnerable to poverty, lack of education and information, particularly in communities such as Rama and Punta del Rio Grande.

In Chinandega, members of the Women's Movement identified Corinto and Puerto

Morazán and the municipalities in the boundaries with Honduras as those with the highest prevalence of TIP cases, and Guatemala as the main destination. They also pointed to families, though not considered accomplices, but rather as “facilitators.”

In Jinotega, there was no mention of TIP cases; however, they claimed there are

“suspicious vans” traveling throughout Central America as a risk factor.

VIII. HIGHLIGHTS OF FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS

The team consultants conducted 5 Focus Groups to cover four priority regions for the overall-national perspective: (Please see Annex VI of Focus Group participants and

Guideline).

Focus Group Date Participants

Men Women Age range

Northern Region of the

Country - Jinotega May 27 1 9 18-65

The Dry Corridor of the country - Chinandega May 26 4 6 18-60

The Northern Region of the

Caribbean Coast (RACCN), Bilwi

May 11 4 6 24-57

The Southern Region of the

Caribbean Coast (RACCS), Bluefields.

May 9 6 5 16-45

The Southern Region of the

Caribbean Coast (RACCS)

Bluefields - specific for people with disabilities

May 9 3 5 24 – 67

The Focus groups included opinion leaders and subject matter experts and CSOs leaders for gender, LGBTI, indigenous and people with disabilities. The guideline to conduct the focus groups incorporated many findings of the key interviews and priority topics on gender and social inclusion, it was designed with an intersectional approach and considered elements that leaded participants to discuss both exclusion and inclusion factors.

The notable findings from the focus group discussions that are notable due to their difference from the available literature include:

■ A perception of important decrease in social and political participation. NGOs are much weaker and competing against each other due to lack of funding opportunities from both the domestic and international communities. Lack of collaboration is also considered a major barrier amongst NGOs.

■ Amongst the biggest cross-sector concern is the lack of economic opportunities and access due to persisting discrimination mostly in semi-urban and rural settings.

■ Awareness-raising activities, especially about the special needs of people with disabilities, are important and necessary to promote human rights and effectively include people with disabilities as productive members of the society.

■ Civil society organizations that are not aligned with government policies are excluded from resources and denied access to authorities. People in public offices of all levels who are critical to or challenge the government in any way are often expelled.

■ In Chinandega and Jinotega people do not identify themselves as belonging to any indigenous communities. An effort was made to reach out specifically to those who identify as indigenous to participate in the focus groups; however, participants only identified themselves as belonging to urban or rural areas.

Specific details of Focus Group participants can be found in Annex VI.

■ Participants emphasized the importance of the international community documenting the particularities of…