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Gender Quotas Database

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Nicaragua

Nicaragua

Central America

Nicaragua has a Unicameral parliament with legislated quotas for the single/lower house and at the sub-national level. 49 of 91 (54%) seats in the Asamblea Nacional / National Assembly are held by women.

At a glance

Structure of parliament Unicameral

Are there legislated quotas

For the Single / Lower house? Yes
For the Upper house? No
For the Sub-national level? Yes

Are there voluntary quotas?

Adopted by political parties? No
Is there additional information? Yes

Single / Lower House

Asamblea Nacional / National Assembly

Total seats 91
Total women 49
Percentage of women 54%
Election year 2021
Electoral system List PR
Quota type Legislated Candidate Quotas
Election details IDEA Voter Turnout - IPU Parline
Legal source Details
Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas Constitution

”In the case of officials elected by popular vote on the basis of closed lists proposed by political parties in accordance with the principle of proportional representation, deputies in the National Assembly, deputies in the Central-American Parliament, Municipal Councilors, and Regional Councilors, the list of candidates must contain fifty percent of male and fifty percent of female candidates, presented in a fair and alternating order; the same relation between the sexes must be maintained between the mandate holders and their alternates, where applicable (Constitution Article 131)”.

 
Electoral law

The political parties or alliances of parties that participate in the municipal elections, of deputies of the National Assembly and the Central American Parliament, must present fifty percent of men and fifty percent of women in their lists of candidates, arranged in an orderly manner. equitable and presented alternately (Article 82 - Electoral Law 790/2012).
Legal sanctions for non-compliance Electoral law

When the Supreme Electoral Council, in accordance with the provisions of this Law, denies an application or rejects a candidate for not meeting the requirements of the Law, it will notify the political party or alliance of parties within three days of the resolution, to proceed to correct the defects or to replace the candidates. (Article 84)
Rank order/placement rules Electoral law

According to Article 16 of the Electoral Law,
For the organization of electoral processes, there will be a Departmental or Regional Electoral Council in each Department and Autonomous Regions, as the case may be, as well as a Municipal Electoral Council, for each Municipality of the country Each of these Councils will be made up of a President and two members, all with their respective substitutes.

For the appointment of these structures, gender alternation must be ensured, both in the appointment of the presidencies and in their composition, in such a way that fifty percent (50%) are chaired by women and fifty percent (50%) ) is presided over by men, and in cases where the total number of Councils to be integrated result in an odd number, fifty percent (50%) plus one presided over by women must be appointed, for their integration the Supreme Electoral Council will take into account the political pluralism established in the Political Constitution and no more than one appointment to the same political party or political parties that, although different, belong to the same alliance, may fall on a Departmental or Municipal Electoral Council.

...
Is the provision of direct public funding to political parties related to gender equality among candidates? No See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database
Are there provisions for other financial advantages to encourage gender equality in political parties? No See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database
Sources Additional information Contact us

Quota at the Sub-National Level

Quota type Legislated Candidate Quotas
Legal source Details
Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas Constitution

”In the case of officials elected by popular vote on the basis of closed lists proposed by political parties in accordance with the principle of proportional representation, deputies in the National Assembly, deputies in the Central-American Parliament, Municipal Councilors, and Regional Councilors, the list of candidates must contain fifty percent of male and fifty percent of female candidates, presented in a fair and alternating order; the same relation between the sexes must be maintained between the mandate holders and their alternates, where applicable (Constitution Article 131)”.
Electoral law

The political parties or alliances of parties that participate in the municipal elections, of deputies of the National Assembly and the Central American Parliament, must present fifty percent of men and fifty percent of women in their lists of candidates, arranged in an orderly manner. equitable and presented alternately (Article 82 - Electoral Law 790/2012).
Rank order/placement rules Electoral law

According to Article 16 of the Electoral Law,
For the organization of electoral processes, there will be a Departmental or Regional Electoral Council in each Department and Autonomous Regions, as the case may be, as well as a Municipal Electoral Council, for each Municipality of the country Each of these Councils will be made up of a President and two members, all with their respective substitutes.

For the appointment of these structures, gender alternation must be ensured, both in the appointment of the presidencies and in their composition, in such a way that fifty percent (50%) are chaired by women and fifty percent (50%) ) is presided over by men, and in cases where the total number of Councils to be integrated result in an odd number, fifty percent (50%) plus one presided over by women must be appointed, for their integration the Supreme Electoral Council will take into account the political pluralism established in the Political Constitution and no more than one appointment to the same political party or political parties that, although different, belong to the same alliance, may fall on a Departmental or Municipal Electoral Council.

...
Sources Additional information Contact us

Voluntary Political Party Quotas*

Party Official Name Details, Quota provisions
No data available.

* Only political parties represented in parliament are included. When a country has legislated quotas in place, only political parties that have voluntary quotas that exceed the percentage/number of the national quota legislation are presented in this table.

Sources Additional information Contact us

Additional information

Previously, the 2008 electoral law ensured gender equality in the exercise of civil and political rights at all levels, including the promotion of the measures necessary to increase women’s participation in the electoral processes at all levels.

Under the new law, political parties and civil society organizations shall seek the equal participation of women and men in decision-making positions and procedures, by ensuring that their statutes guarantee effective democratic participation in the election procedures of their authorities and candidates. This does not invalidate the academic, intellectual and ethical requirements, or the capacities and experience required to be candidates or applicants for these positions (Articles 8–12).

The percentage of women is calculated from the current number of seats occupied in the parliament. The National Assembly has 92 statutory seats. 

 

Sources

LEGAL SOURCES:

OTHER SOURCES:

  • Parliament of Nicaragua - Link
  • Htun, M. N., Participación, Representación y Liderazgo Político de la Mujer en América Latina [Women’s political participation, representation and leadership in Latin America], Issue Brief (Washington, DC: Women’s Leadership Conference of the Americas, 1998), accessed 24 April 2018;
  • Samqui, E. M., ‘Participación política de la mujeres: ¿caminamos o vamos dando traspiés?’ [Political participation of women: we walked or stumbled?], in B. Llanos and K. Sample (eds), Del dicho al hecho: manual de buenas practicas para la participación de mujeres en los partidos políticos latinoamericanos [From words to action: best practices for women’s participation in latin american political parties]] (Stockholm: International IDEA, 2008), accessed 24 April 2018
 

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