Costa Rican women have power

Costa Rican women have greater access to education, health, and representation in political office than their counterparts in the rest of Central America, according to a World Bank study.

A majority of high school students is female. Costa Rican women have the lowest incidence in the region of death related to pregnancy and childbirth. In addition, women hold 39% of Costa Rican congressional seats.

In second place are Nicaraguan women, who represent 21% of the Congress, and who make up half of high school students.

Guatemalans have the worst results in this category. Only 55% of girls attend high school, while and Congress has a female representation of only 7%.

The data from the Bank’s 2012 Development Report on Gender Equality and Development, published in September.


The numbers represent the relative ranking of the region’s countries.

1. Costa Rica
2. Nicaragua
3. Honduras
4. Panama
5. El Salvador
6. Guatemala