The Republic of Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America, with a high population growth rate, young population, and low population density. The majority of the population is mestizo or indigenous, Hispanic is the dominant culture, and Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion. Gender roles are shaped by traditional Hispanic values and the concepts of machismo and marianismo, although women have made business and political advancements, including the election of a female president in the 1990s. Nicaragua ranked 49th out of 134 countries in the World Economic Forum's 2009 Global Gender Gap Report.

The predominant Roman Catholic culture places a strong emphasis on church marriages, although there are also numerous common law marriages. The average age of marriage is in the early 20s. The 2009 ...