Women’s decision-making in rural and urban households in Nicaragua: the influence of income and ideology

This paper contributes to the continuing debate on factors that influence women’s decision-making within households. Specifically, it considers the influence of income generation and gender ideology on women’s decision-making in urban and rural households in Nicaragua. It adds to the debate by extending the household decisions that are considered to include not only monetary decisions but also “life option” decisions, including those around women’s sexuality. It highlights that understandings of work and contribution are more important than income in some cases, and that ideology matters in terms of how obligations to the household are understood and fulfilled. It suggests that in itself being “urban” seems to contribute to understandings of both income and ideology, for both urban women and men.