NOVEMBER 2015
Empowerment Approach in Tourism:
Introduction
Page 1 Page
Conclusions and
Recommendations
Page 8 Page
INTRODUCTION
In 2010, CAWN published a Briefing paper
on Tourism and Development Strategy in
Central America, which explored the im-
pact of development projects which had a
tourism focus on the lives of women in the
region1. Drawing on findings from field re-
search undertaken in Costa Rica, Belize and
Honduras, the Briefing presented a grim
picture of conditions for women in the tou-
rism sector and the impact of tourism on
local people and the environment. Since
then, the Responsible Tourism movement
has been gathering pace and Nicaragua
is currently in the process of developing a
strategy on Gender and Tourism. Moreover,
some of CAWN’s partners in Nicaragua are
looking to tourism, not only as a source of
employment, but also as an opportunity for
increased autonomy and economic inde-
pendence for women as managers of small
rural based enterprises offering board and
lodging and other types of tourism offe-
rings for the growing population of tourists
in the country.
Against this background, CAWN felt it was
opportune to delve into this area in order to
gain some insights into the current situation
and future prospects for women’s rights
and employment.
1 Available to download from CAWN’s website
2 For example, Goal 8.9 para 2030, which advocates the elaboration and implementation of policies aimed at promoting sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes culture
and local products. Also Goal 12.b that advocates the development and application of instruments aimed at monitoring the effects of tourism on sustainable development.
3 World Travel and Tourism Council
The Voices of Nicaraguan Women
Tourism from a Tourism Trends in
Gender Perspective Nicaragua
2 Page 4 Page
Resources and
references
9
Why talk about tourism?
Nowadays it is somewhat anachronistic
to think of leisure as the sole or primary
function of the tourism industry. Tourism fea-
tures in most Development Agendas, such as
the Post-2015 Agenda for Sustainable Deve-
lopment2. It also features in free trade agre-
ements and in most international develop-
ment strategies. Its global reach has placed
tourism at the heart of decison-making in all
spheres, political, financial and economic.
In part this can be explained in terms of the
significant monetary exchanges it entails
between countries, especially between rich
and poor countries. By 2014, the travel and
tourism industry were estimated to be pro-
viding 10 per cent of world GDP (US$ 7.6
trillion) and to be providing an estimated
266 million jobs worldwide3. However, if we
analyse tourism solely from a financial pers-
pective, we may lose sight of the fact that
money transfers between countries does
not necessarily imply a win-win situation or
an equal distribution of financial gain at the
level of civil society. Thus, there is a need
for critical analysis, as well as strategies and
instruments aimed at undertanding the im-
pact of tourism and enhancing its capacity
to bring about economically, socially and
environmentally sustainable development.
1
The Voices of Women
Leaders in Nicaragua
5
World Tourism – Key figures
• Tourism currently comprises 9% of the
world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
• The market share of emerging econo-
mies increased from 30% in 1980 to 45%
in 2014
• The tourism sector provides 1 out of
every 11 jobs globally
• Tourism comprises 6% of the world’s
exports at a value of USD$1.1 trillion
• The number of tourists has risen from 25
million in 1950 to 1.1 billion in 2014. By
2030, it is forecast that there will be 1.8
billion international tourists
• The Americas recorded the strongest
growth in 2014 with an 8% increase in
international arrivals. In North America,
growth was led by Mexico (+20%) and the
United States (+7%). In Central America,
tourism arrivals rose by 6% with highest
growth rates in Guatemala and Belize
(+9%) followed by Nicaragua (+8%),
Panama and El Salvador (+5%) and Costa
Rica (+4%)
Source: UNWTO (2015)
TOURISM FROM A
GENDER PERSPECTIVE
In the tourism sector gender differences
and diversity issues are rarely taken into ac-
count. Many tourism strategies aim to redu-
ce poverty and enhance sustainable deve-
lopment, but fail to recognise that gender
inequality undermines a project’s sustaina-
bility and inhibits the processes of women’s
empowerment.
Tourism with a gender perspective means
analysing how women and men contribu-
te to, experience and perceive the benefits
TABLE 1: SELECTED PUBLICATIONS ON GENDER AND TOURISM (2010-2015)
Title/Author(s)
Global Report on Women 2010
in Tourism 2010 (UN Wo-
men and UNWTO)
Best Practices in gender-
sensitive sustainable
tourism (FIIAPP- Interna-
tional and IberoAmerican
Institute of Administration
and Public Policy)
“Women in Tourism – Un-
fulfilled Promises, Conti-
nuing Myths”, in: Tracing
the Maze: a Dossier on
Women and Tourism
(Equations,India)
International Perspecti-
ves on Women and Work
in Hotels, Catering and
Tourism.
(Thomas Baum, Internatio-
nal Labour Office, Bureau
for Gender Equality, Wor-
king Paper 1/2013)
4 See point 14 of resolution no. 69 of the UN “Promotion of sustainable tourism, including eco-tourism, for poverty eradication and the protection of the environment” which deals with gender equality
http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/69/472&referer=/english/&Lang=S
And also Equality in Tourism’s response to this resolution: http://equalityintourism.org/2015/02/equalityintourism-statement-on-un-resolution-on-the-promotion-of-sustainable-tourism/
(both individual and collective) of tourism   Promote women’s empowerment by
development. It implies analysing the im- opening the doors for women to address all
pact of tourism on gender relations in order aspects of tourism, including its social, po-
to avoid widening the gender gap and exa- litical, economic and environmental effects.
cerbating existing gender inequalities.
The need for a gender-focussed analysis
Tourism policies with a gender focus should has been steadily gaining ground in tourism
seek to: debates4. The incipient body of knowledge
in this sphere has been developed through
  Maximise the benefits of tourism through projects, independent research, and colla-
a gender-sensitive analysis of poverty borations between institutions.
and the root causes of the feminisation
of poverty.
  Close the gender gap in previous and cu-
rrent tourism developments.
Year Objectives Main Conclusions
To examine how and to what degree Although tourism provides numerous op-
tourism can positively impact the lives portunities for women, there are still gen-
of women in developing regions of the der inequalites that undermine its impact
world by examining the current status on women’s economic empowerment.
of women in tourism and developing
indicators for future monitoring.
2011 To present a selection of best practi- In order to realise best practices in tou-
ces as a suitable basis for the advan- rism, it is necessary to start with an intial
cement of equal opportunities and gender-sensitive phase, provide professional
gender equality. training that challenges gender roles, and
put into practice measures that enable par-
ticipation and decision-making, address the
sexual division of labour and mainstream
gender training across the tourism industry.
2013 To examine the nature of women’s Despite the visibility of women in tourism,
participation, their role in influencing there is a need for deeper analysis in rela-
decisions around tourism, and the tion to the scope and type of opportuni-
extent to which they have been able ties that tourism offers for women.
to break boundaries. This analysis is
done around three issues: Women and
Tourism Policy, Tourism and Gender
Relations; and Women’s Engagement
with Tourism – Issues and Concerns.
2013 To examine the cultural and structural Women occupy the least valued positions
determinants of women’s roles in the in these sectors. Despite the importance
hotel, catering and tourism sectors. of their work, they are expected to be
flexible. For the most part, women’s work
in these sectors has a negative impact on
gender balance.
2
 Sun, Sand and Ceilings: 2013
Women in the Boardroom
in the Tourism Industry
(Equality in Tourism, UK)
Gender and sustaina- 2014
ble tourism: reflections
on theory and practice
(Ferguson, Lucy & Moreno
Alarcón, Daniela)
Gender Equity in Tou- 2015
rism? Many Shadows and
Few Lights. (Responsible
Tourism Forum, Spain).
Some examples of studies that examine the
impact of tourism on women and gender
relations are given in Table 1 (further re-
sources and links are included at the end
of this Briefing). Generally speaking, most
studies approach the topic by asking ques-
tions such as: to what extent and how does
tourism give visibility to women? How does
tourism provide employment for women?
To what extent has tourism contributed to
reducing poverty in areas where women
live? These are important questions to be
addressed but, for the most part, they are
discussed from within the existing parame-
ters of tourism. An analysis based on pro-
moting gender equality needs to go beyond
traditional frameworks in order to address
broader questions, such as:
1.  How can tourism policies be made
more gender-sensitive?
2.  How can tourist budgets be adapted
to both create opportunities and fulfil com-
mitments in relation to promoting gender
equality and women’s empowerment?
3.  How can we analyse, not only the
impact of tourism on women but also
women’s impact on tourism?
To argue that leadership and decision- Of the 78 surveys carried out in 4 strategic
making are the fundamental con- tourism sectors, only 15.8% of manage-
ditions of gender equality in tourist ment positions are occupied by women.
enterprises across the UK.
To reflect on some of the key tensions Gender should be integrated within the
of integrating gender into sustainable current framework of sustainable tourism,
tourism projects. This analysis is based rather than trying to challenge the key as-
on the challenges inherent in gender sumptions embedded therein. Gender ex-
mainstreaming processes and the perts are often contracted to mainstream
resistance to incorporating gender gender into projects “retrospectively”,
equality and gender analysis as core fundamentally limiting and constraining
principles of sustainable tourism. the possibilities of contributing to mea-
ningful and sustained change in gender
equality and women’s empowerment.
To deal with gender equality and The paper highlights the risk of promoting
examines the question of the extent women’s empowerment in tourism for the
to which tourism can be seen as the wrong reasons, such as supporting agen-
motor of development processes. das linked to economic growth and wealth
The analysis is based on three tourism creation. The paper also warns that while
experiences in the foreign aid sector. tourism can provide access to the labour
market for women, it is not necessarily
a way to improve their quality of life in a
more holistic perspective.
Source: Daniela Moreno Alarcón
4.  What are the criteria that can help us
differentiate between initiatives that are
gender-focussed and those that are not, in
order to identify what needs to change?
As will be argued below, these questions
will only be addressed once the global
community has taken on the challenge
of viewing tourism as an opportuntiy for
promoting gender equality, leadership and
Focus Group Meeting
decision-making power for women. Photo by: Daniela Alarcon
3
TOURISM TRENDS IN
NICARAGUA
N icaragua has seen a steady growth in
tourism in the last decade or longer. Tourist
numbers rose from 1,011,251 in 2010 to
1,329,663 in 2014, and over the same pe-
riod, tourism revenues rose from US$308.5
million to $US445.4 million, around 5.3 per
cent of GDP (INTUR, 2013).
There are two main types of tourism: beach
and rural. Whilst beach tourism constitutes
the most important type in terms of num-
bers, rural or community-based tourism
(CBT) is steadily gaining ground within the
tourism sector, especially in relation to the
goal of poverty-reduction The Nicaraguan
Tourism Institute (INTUR) provides the fo-
llowing definition of CBT:
This type of tourism promotes the parti-
cipation of local communities in planning
and management processes involved
in the development of tourist activities
in their territories taking account of
the sustainability of their operations. It
presupposes the involvement of local
people in rural community destinations
(Definición de la Política y Estrategias de
Turismo Rural Sostenible (TRS) de Nicara-
gua INTUR, 2009)
2012-16 and as part of the economic
growth strategy based on increasing
employment and reducing poverty. As
such, we aim to establish Nicaragua as
a tourist destination, by promoting the
natural beauty of the landscape, as well
the history and culture of its people,
within the framework of the National
Tourism Development Strategy, thereby
stimulating public-private investment in
the sector and improving the tourism
product. A key focus will be on suppor-
ting family and community enterprises
and co-operatives, as well as stren-
gthening the capacity and institutional
leadership of the Nicaraguan Tourism
Institute (INTUR).
Source: Gobierno de Nicaragua (2012)
Plan Nacional de Desarrollo Humano
2012-2016
CBT has also been a target of international
development aid and has been supported
by some corporate groups within the fra-
mework of Social Corporate Responsibility
Strategies5.
Opportunities for women in
tourism in Nicaragua
Tourism provides many jobs and income-
generating opportunities. According to the
PNDTS (National Plan for the Development
of Sustainable Tourism), there were 76,432
people directly or indirectly employed in
tourism in Nicaragua in 2003. By 2009, this
figure almost doubled reaching 140,404. It
is likely, as elsewhere, that women repre-
sent the majority of those working in the
tourism sector, but there is no oficial sex di-
saggregation of these figures.
Global Report on Women in Tourism con-
cluded that:
Women are not as well represented at
the profesional level as men. Women are
still not being paid as much as men and
they are not receiving the same level of
education and in-service training as men.
(p.65)
It is highly likely that this pattern is mirro-
red in Nicaragua. Based on the latest UNDP
report for Nicaragua, women workers earn
on average 30 per cent less than men and
women are concentrated in insecure, part-
time, temporary and low status employ-
ment7. This follows the globalised employ-
ment trends characterised by occupational
segregation and the sexual division of la-
bour, with women concentrated in domes-
tic, caring and low status work and men
occupying more high-status, management
positions in the productive sectors.
According to unofficial sources, INTUR has
been working on the development of a
Gender and Tourism Strategy. Although
this Strategy has not been officially laun-
ched, internal training of INTUR staff in
various municipalities has already begun.
What is most disappointing is that many
of the leading women’s organisations in
Nicaragua (such as those interviewed as
part of this research) were not consulted in
the development of the strategy, nor were
they informed about INTUR’s thinking and
approach.

There is very limited published offical data

Women selling homegrown fruits and vegetables in
Cerro Negro. Photo by Daniela Alarcon
Tourism now features in Nicaragua’s Human
Development Plan and is viewed as a tool
for development and the enhancement of
living standards. This is illustrated by the
following reference to tourism in the Plan:
Tourism stands out in the National
Human Development Plan as an integral
part of the productive strategy for
on the status and conditions of women’s
employment in the tourism sector in Nica-
ragua. According to the UNWTO Global
Report on Women in Tourism 2010, the
proportion of female employers in the hotel
and restaurant sectors in Nicaragua is hig-
her than average. In fact, Nicaragua ranks
fifth in the world and second in Latin Ame-
rica on this score. However, according to
the latest UNDP Report for Nicaragua, bu-
sinesses owned by women are smaller than
those owned by men6. Most studies indi-
cate that women are concentrated in low
Woman from Masaya cooking corn cakes (tortas de maiz).
paid, insecure low status jobs. The 2010 Photo by Daniela Alarcon

5 For example, the activities promoted by the Grupo Pellas, the owner of this group was called by the Forbes Magazine “the new czar of tourism”.
6 El Mercado Laboral de Nicaragua desde un enfoque de genero, PNUD 2014
7 ibid

4
THE VOICES OF despite their important contributions in de- The potential benefits of
bates on health, sexual and reproductive tourism for women
WOMEN LEADERS IN rights, violence, leadership, environment, the

NICARAGUA economy and land management, their work

Nicaraguan feminists and women’s orga-
nisations have played a critical part in deba-
tes around gender issues and development
in general. Through their own struggles and
activism, they have developed a deeper and
more profound understanding of the con-
cepts of poverty and human development
from a gender perspective. Nonetheless,
in relation to tourism is still in its infancy.
In 2014 the author of this Briefing conduc-
ted interviews with the leaders of four pro-
minent women’s organisations. Three were
carried out between October and Novem-
ber 2014 and the fourth in April 2015. The
four women interviewed represent organi-
sations actively involved in promoting com-
munity development, gender equality and
the empowerment of rural women.
All four women recognise the significant
tourism potential of Nicaragua’s many natu-
ral attractions, which have put Nicaragua on
the tourist map both regionally and interna-
tionally. As explained by Sandra Ramos:
We have few mass market niches
here: the Free Trade Zones, emigration
and now tourism. Thus tourism is an
important development opportunity
for women in local communities. So, it
is crucial to know how to manage this

TABLE 2: PROFILE OF THE WOMEN INTERVIEWEES

Blanca Lidia Torres, Coordinator of the
Federation of Women’s Rural Producer
Cooperatives in Nicaragua (Femuprocan).
This organisation supports women working in cooperatives, rural producers
and other women directly linked to the rural sector. Femuprocan has been
legally established for 17 years, but was first set up in the 1980s. It was ori-
ginally the women’s section of UNAG – the National Union of Farmers and
Cattle Ranchers of Nicaragua. It was within these two organisations, first
UNAG and then Femuprocan, that the struggle to establish women produ-
cers’ collectives began.

María Teresa Fernández, President of CMR is made up of 112 cooperatives and three community and municipal
the Coordinating Committee of Rural organisations in ten local Departments. In total it brings together around
Women (CMR). 10,600 rural women. Like Blanca Lidia, María Teresa Fernández, began her
journey of activism within UNAG.

Haydee Castillo, President of the Women’s Both these organisations promote the participation of women in the proces-
Forum for Central American and Caribbean ses of regional integration based on justice, gender equality and respect for
Integration, and President of the Institute of diversity.
Leadership of Las Segovias (ILLS).

Sandra Ramos, President of the Movement
of Working and Unemployed Women –
Maria Elena Cuadra (MEC).
Founded in May 1994, MEC is a broad-based, pluralistic and independent
organisation that promotes the inclusion and full participation of women in
Nicaraguan society and the universal principles of equality, freedom and so-
cial justice. These aims are pursued through training and rights awareness-
raising, lobbying, research and information for women about their rights at
work and their sexual and reproductive rights, and legal support services for
women and their families.

process and ensure that communities do
not lose out, as happened with gold-
mining in the past and to ensure that
tourism brings added value and genera-
tes secure, not precarious, employment
opportunities.
In my view, tourism can act both as
a vehicle for the empowerment of
women, but can also reproduce existing
forms of gender subordination. In order
for tourism to have a positive impact on
gender equity, it must be accompanied
by factors that contribute to the holistic
empowerment of women.
Both Femuprocan and MEC have tried to
penetrate the tourism arena. Blanca Lidia
Torres commented that “they wanted to
take up (tourism) because of the enormous
wealth of local communities and districts.”
MEC has developed several tourism initiati-
ves, including a project called Women Catt-
le-Ranchers’ Route (La Ruta de las Mujeres
del Ganado) in Juigalpa and a research pro-
ject aimed at increasing knowledge-base
on women within tourism. However, these
projects were not able to be implemented
due to lack of funding.
All four women agree that rural tourism
with a community focus is the right model
to adopt. For Haydee Castillo, a focus on
community-based tourism is important be-
cause “it has a more cultural and environ-
mental dimension”:
When we talk about this (a community
focus) we are touching upon questions of
culture and spirituality. Life itself is lived as
a community, not as a collection of indivi-
duals. This is a breeding ground that can
contribute to women’s empowerment.
Despite the funding difficulties encounte-
red, MEC has initiated a programme of tra-
ining for rural women on Omotepe island.
This aims to raise awareness among women

5
that rural tourism is an opportunity for de-
velopment that can include and empower
women in rural areas.
The views of the four women are informed
by an understanding of the rural context
and although they agree tourism brings in-
frastructure improvements, they are aware
that it rarely benefits rural women. In the
words of Maria Teresa Fernandez:
[Infrastructural improvements] are made
in order to enhance foreign investment.
In the areas where rural women live the
roads are in a bad condition and there is
no public transport. The only access is by
taxi, which is very expensive. As a result,
rural areas remain isolated.
This situation is inextricably linked to the
limited impact of rural tourism on gender
inequalities.
Blanca Lidia Torres
Another critical issue highlighted by the
four interviewees is the behaviour of tou-
rists, which results in negative perceptions
of tourism and tourists among local people,
especially in rural areas. According to San-
dra Ramos, this negative impact on tourism
in the rural context is compounded by the
lack of involvement of women in tourism
management:
I feel that tourists come to our country
to do things they cannot do in their own
country. I do not believe that tourism
‘develops’ me. But, along with other wo-
men, I see ways in which tourism could
be more sustainable. Currently, tourism
does not prioritise women’s empower-
ment. It is tourism for tourism’s sake.
Focus on family and women’s
traditional roles vs strategic
gender approaches
A critical question from the outset of the
process of tourism planning and manage-
ment is the specific gender framework that
will be applied. In her interview, María Tere-
sa Fernández provided a definition of a gen-
der perspective in relation to tourism that
encapsulates the implications of this term
for rural women and stressed that it needs
to go beyond a mainstreaming approach:
A gender perspective needs to be seen
as a vital element of rights….[…] it
means resources to gain knowledge,
managing knowledge, increasing self-
esteem, leadership, having the resources
to undertake income-generation, pro-
ductive activities, access to land, which
is a source of power for women and not
just a resource to be used for producing
food for others. […] having legal and
material security over an asset as funda-
mental as land is in rural areas.
However, there is a tendency for such an
understanding of a gender perspective to
be diluted in politics and economic policy as
a result of personal resistance to this con-
cept. All four women interviewed concur
that the understanding of the concept of
a gender perspective has been undermined
by two erroneous interpretatations of this
concept: the family-oriented focus and the
woman-orientated focus.
The family-oriented focus puts the inter-
est of the family above women’s individual
interest, as explained by Sandra Ramos:
In this family-focussed vision, the ultima-
te goal, in my view, is to render women
invisible. Women are lost in the notion
of the family in an attempt to reinforce
an outdated vision of society […] this is
the tendency in all public policies […] the
main problem with the family-oriented
approach is that it does not attempt to
tackle gender inequalities.
The key problem with the other tenden-
cy, the woman-oriented focus, is that
it looks at success solely in terms of num-
bers. It contributes to the belief that, if
there are more women than men working
in an organisation, there is gender equali-
ty, even though men are paid more than
women who are doing the same jobs and
decision-making is mostly assigned to the
male minority. This emphasis on numbers
also fails to look at the critical issue of gen-
der awareness. Even in organisations where
women form the majority of workers, they
often have no understanding about gen-
der equality and women’s empowerment.
This is very common in the hotel sector, in
government departments and even within
community-based rural tourism.
6
The critical importance of
access to land for women
Another important issue which arose in the
interviews is land ownership. As pointed
out by María Teresa Fernández, the unequal
distribution of land along gender lines da-
tes back to the revolutionary period and still
applies today:
[…] women are not part of the distribu-
tion of land, chiefly because we were
not aware that this is our right […] many
men got land titles and sold them, they
did not even put the land to productive
use. The problem is that there is no sen-
se of justice in land distribution policies.
Haydeé Castillo makes a similar argument:
Many men do not even question land
ownership because this is a right that
they were born with, it is part of their
daily life. We have been working with
the indigenous people of Mozonte. In
this place, inheritance is automatically
handed down from the father to the
oldest son. If the oldest child is a girl, it
would go to the male child or else to the
husband of the eldest daughter if there
are no male children. We have begun
working on g ender and ethnicity […]
it has been a complex process […] even
amongst the communities, a patriarchal
vision prevails.
One of the fundamental pillars of the work
on gender and tourism is that it should faci-
litate the participation of women in tourist
programmes and pursue women’s right to
land ownership. This is the key for enabling
women to effectively enter into the produc-
tive chain of tourism and ensuring that wo-
men do not remain exclusively on the lower
rung of decision-making and participation.
Tourism employment and the
reproduction of the sexual
division of labour
All four women leaders interviewed asso-
ciate tourism with the sexual division of la-
bour which confines women to the kitchen,
cleaning and kitchen-garden. Their concern
is that, in the absence of any questioning or
analysis of the causes of this sexual division
of labour, women will remain confined to
work that is socially unrecognised and un-
valued in economic terms. Sandra Ramos
made the following comments:
They do not identify this issue [the
sexual division of labour] because they
view it as natural. How much work has
been done with women to support their
economic empowerment, raise gender
awareness, self-esteem and women’s
community and business leadership
capacities? We believe that all voluntary
(unpaid) work is acceptable, provided it
is done with consciousness and auto-
nomy. In other words, it must be prece-
ded by a process of awareness-raising on
gender roles and the gender gap.
Towards an understanding of
the empowerment approach
in tourism
The work of all these organisations is ba-
sed on a holistic approach to women’s em-
powerment. In MEC, this approach aims to
promote women’s empowerment on three
levels: economic, political and physical. The
economic level entails access to and con-
trol over resources and the development of
women’s capacities to generate income and
use this to acquire the goods and services
they require. The political level means de-
veloping women’s leadership capacities and
their participation in decision-making pro-
cesses. And at the physical level, it means
defending women’s rights to make deci-
sions over their own lives and bodies.
Femuprocan’s empowerment strategy is ba-
sed on a people-centred model of sustaina-
ble development that promotes the active
participation of rural women producers on
an equal footing with men. This involves
supporting women’s equal access to pro-
ductive resources within cooperatives; wor-
king towards changing the macho culture
still prevalent in the rural sector, which en-
genders violence, discrimination and other
abuses; supporting women’s participation
in decision-making processes; and the in-
clusion of women’s demands on the poli-
tical agenda.
CMR’s cross-cutting approach to empower-
ment includes promoting women’s access
to land and other productive resources in
order to set in train a process of economic
empowerment and the improvement of the
living conditions of rural women and their
families. CMR puts emphasis on land ow-
nership because, it is a key resource in rural
areas providing economic security, and also
leads to strengthening women’s bargaining
capacity and access to other resources.
Without access to land rights, women’s
empowerment in rural areas is impossible.
Moreover, in some tourism cooperatives in
rural areas, land ownership is a prerequisi-
te for membership of the Cooperative and
a position on the management committe.
CMR has been actively involved in lobbying
for Law 717, which seeks to establish a
fund for the purchase of land on a gender
equitable basis for rural women. CMR has
also been involved in the development of
legislative proposals for the reform of the
General Law of Cooperatives (Law no. 499)
which is aimed at incorporating a cross-cut-
ting gender perspective into this law.
María Teresa Fernández, President of the Coordinating Commit-
FEMUPROCAN has also been very involved
tee of Rural Women (CMR).
in this process and since 2010 has been con-
ducting a national campaign to promote a
gender focus within legislation governing
cooperatives. Their campaign has focussed
on raising awareness of the importance of
this issue among their members and the pu-
blic at large.
Although the work of these organisations
is not primarily focussed on women in
Haydee Castillo, President of the Women’s Forum for Central
tourism, their approach and strategies can American and Caribbean Integration, and President of the Institute
readily be adapted to the tourist sector. of Leadership of Las Segovias (ILLS).
Furthermore, the four women interviewed
recognise the potential benefits for women
and see the attraction of tourism, not only
for the women they support, but also for
themselves. As Blanca admitted in her in-
terview:
If one day I leave Femuprocan in order
to start up another productive activity, it
will have to be something linked to rural
tourism. That is the dream that truly Sandra Ramos, President of the Movement of Working and
sparks my imagination. Unemployed Women – Maria Elena Cuadra (MEC).
Blanca Lidia Torres, Coordinator of the Federation of Women’s Rural Producer Cooperatives in Nicaragua (Femuprocan).
7
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR ACTION

T hese interviews show that there is still a

lot of work to be done to integrate a gender The following measures must be adopted by the relevant Government ministries,
focus into the tourism sector in Nicaragua non-governmental institutions and the academic community with a view to pro-
and we are at an early stage in the process. moting equal opportunities and gender equality in the tourism sector:
Two key conclusions can be drawn from
this discussion and the issues highlighted by
  Undertake further studies to better understand and promote the posi-
women leaders, which are applicable more
tion of women in the value chains related to all tourism-related activities.
generally to the tourism sector in other cou-
ntries and regions. These are:
  Develop a legal framework for the incorporation of a clear gender fo-
cus within tourism laws and policies.
  Gender analysis is either absent
or flawed in existing models of res-   Develop a legal framework for addressing the problem of insecure em-
ponsible and sustainable tourism. ployment within the tourism sector, which affects both men and women,
Gender is frequently mentioned in tourism but in particular women.
projects, policies, action plans and research
studies. But for the most part, this is toke-   Promote employment opportunities for women in currently male-do-
nistic and does not reflect a genuine accep- minated sectors so as to reduce the sexual divisionof labour.
tance of gender equality as a fundamental
principle or as a central axis of sustainable
  Develop professional and university courses on gender and tourism in
tourism.
universities and profesional training institutions.
  Governments and policy-makers
need to draw on the experience and   Provide relevant skills training for rural women engaged in tourism ac-
expertise of women’s organisations. tivities to enhance their business management capacities and understan-
The work of women’s organisations is based ding of social, economic and environment issues affecting their activities.
on a deep understanding of the causes and
effects of gender inequalities and the disem-   Incorporate an analysis of the gender dimensions of all public policies
powerment of women. Through their work related to tourism.
with women, they have developed effecti-
ve tools and methodologies for enhancing   Establish a funding stream for projects aimed at promoting gender
women’s empowerment and these can be
equality within tourism.
applied to all sectors, including the tourist
sector. Thus it is essential that their voices
  Develop a set of clear evaluation criteria for assessing positive gender
be integrated into policies and strategies
developed such as the Gender and Tourism impact of tourism project.
Strategy recently developed in Nicaragua.

8
Resources and references

• Murguialday, Clara; Moreno, Daniela; Tovar, Nuria; Carraro Federica & Puigdueta, Ivanka (2015) Gender Equality in Tourism? Many
shadows and few lights. http://www.foroturismoresponsable.org/images/M_images/publicaciones/praxis3.pdf

• Equality in Tourism (2013) Sun, Sand and Ceilings: women in the boardroom in tourist industry
http://equalityintourism.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Sun_Sand_Ceiling_F.pdf

• EQUATIONS (2011) Women in Tourism – “Unfulfilled Promises, Continuing Myths”

http://www.equitabletourism.org/files/fileDocuments1086_uid18.pdf

• Ferguson, L., & Alarcón, D. M. (2015). “Gender and sustainable tourism: reflections on theory and practice”. Journal of Sustainable
Tourism, 23(3), 401-416.

• Ferguson, L. (2015). Tourism, the millennium development goals and gender equality. The international encyclopaedia of social and
behavioural sciences.

• Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas, FIIAPP (2011) “Turismo como oportunidad:
Buenas prácticas en turismos sostenible desde una perspectiva de género”
https://morenoalarcon.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/turismo_como_oportunidad_bbpp.pdf
English versión: https://morenoalarcon.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/tourisme_as_an_opportunity_ggpp-2.pdf

• Gobierno de Nicaragua (2012) Plan Nacional de Desarrollo Humano 2012-2016 http://www.pndh.gob.ni

• INTUR (2007). Visión estratégica de turismo 2007 – 2011.

• INTUR (2009). Definición de la Política y Estrategias de Turismo Rural Sostenible (TRS), de Nicaragua.
http://www.solucionesturisticassostenibles.com/noticias/noticia2.pdf

• INTUR (2011) Plan Nacional de Desarrollo del Turismo Sostenible (PNDST)

• INTUR (2013) Boletín de Estadísticas de Turismo de Nicaragua No. 24

http://www.intur.gob.ni/DOCS/ESTADISTICAS/Estadisticas%20de%20Turismo%202013.pdf

• Moreno Alarcón, D. (2014). El camino del turismo con igualdad. El caso de Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. Memorias, (23).

• International Labour Organisation(2013) International Perspectives on Women and Work in Hotels, Catering and Tourism
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---gender/documents/publication/wcms_209867.pdf

• UNWTO (2001) Global Report of Women in Tourism

http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/pdf/global_report_on_women_in_tourism_2010.pdf

• UNWTO Tourism Highlights, 2015 Edition http://www.e-unwto.org/doi/book/10.18111/9789284416899

Websites of Organisations

• Femuprocan http://www.femuprocan.org

• Coordinadora de Mujeres Rurales https://www.facebook.com/pages/Coordinadora-De-Mujeres-Rurales/475114525916293

• MEC, Movimiento de mujeres María Elena Cuadra http://www.mec.org.ni

• Foro de Mujeres para la integración Centroamericana y Caribe

http://fmicanica.blogspot.com.es/2008/04/pronunciamientofmica-ccsica.html

• Instituto de Liderazgo de las Segovias (ILLS) http://ehub35.webhostinghub.com/~richa124/illsegovias.org/

• Equality in Tourism http://equalityintourism.org

• Instituto Nicaragüense de Turismo (INTUR) http://www.intur.gob.ni

9
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This Briefing was written by Daniela Moreno Alarcón, who is a consultant, trainer, and
researcher in gender issues in tourism development. She is a director of Equality in Tou-
rism, a UK-based organisation dedicated to achieving gender equality in tourism. This
Briefing paper was developed within the framework of her PhD research on Gender and
Tourism in Nicaragua

With many thanks to the women leaders in Nicaragua for their insights and the
information they provided in the interviews.

Translation: Angela Hadjipateras

Editing: Angela Hadjipateras and Marilyn Thomson
Designed by: Laia Bardón
Printed by: Upstream Cooperative

November 2015, London

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11
 The Central America Women’s Network (CAWN) campaigns against the violation of women’s
rights that result from patriarchal values that aim to control women’s reproduction and sexuali-
ty and which perpetuate gender inequality. We work in solidarity with women’s organisations in
Central America to highlight their demands and campaigns.

44-48 Shepherdess Walk, London N1 7JD  |  E-mail: campaigns@cawn.org  |  www.cawn.org

CAWN is a registered charity No.1155757 and a not for profit company limited by guarantee registered
in England and Wales No.3935720