INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY 7th JOINT - IOA

are single mothers that drop school and start working to take care of
their children. The irresponsible parenthood is a critical factor that
affects most Nicaraguan families.
2. Lack of economic incentives in sports and absence of
governmental policies favouring the participation of young people in
sporting activities. The Nicaraguan Government hasn’t established
yet policies to provide dignity, social security and appropriate
retirement benefits for the athletes of both sexes. Another important
factor is the lack of sporting facilities, equipment and other basic
conditions to develop sports at all levels.
3. The attitude of the family towards women. Some parents and
husbands don’t have yet a positive and constructive attitude towards
the participation of women in sports. The influence of this factor is
stronger in the rural areas than in the urban zones. The macho
attitude, the idea of women as made only for domestic work
sometimes affects the level of participation.
4. The most popular sports of Nicaragua are male sports. Baseball
and Boxing are called ‘the national sports’. This context reduces the
possibilities of women’s participation in sports in terms of equity
because women sports don’t attract the attention of the Masses, the
Media and the Sponsors.
Nicaraguan Women’s Participation at the Games of the
Olympic Cycle
- The Central American Games
In the last 30 years, Nicaragua has participated in seven editions of
the Central American Games: Guatemala 1973, San Salvador 1977,
Guatemala 1986, Tegucigalpa 1990, San Salvador 1994, San Pedro
Sula 1997, Guatemala 2001. At Central American Games, Nicaraguan
women’s participation has increased little by little through years. The
participation has risen from 10 athletes in 1973 to 98 in the last two
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