This situational analysis study aims to position the discourses that young Nicaraguan women use in their understanding of femininities, male intimate partner violence (IPV), and men's sexual violence toward women (SA). Eight focus group discussions with a total of 59 women were conducted. Positional maps were used to display the data. The findings show a dominant discourse that portrays femininity as enacting attributes habitually bestowed to men such as independence and agency, while still upholding key patriarchal conceptions (respectability) limiting women's agency. Tolerance of IPV and SA by nonpartners varies depending on women's perceived respectability and agency. Most important, we identified a pro-women's rights resistance discourse that constructs femininity and advocates nonviolence from a human rights perspective.
This situational analysis study aims to explore the discourses that young Nicaraguan men use in their understanding of male intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual abuse toward women. Six urban and 8 rural focus group discussions including 91 men were conducted. Positional maps were used to articulate the positions taken in the data within 2 continuums of variation representing men’s reasoning around control over women and men's responsibility for IPV and sexual abuse (SA). Nicaraguan men's discourses ranged from challenging gender inequality, IPV, and SA to supporting the patriarchal gender order. A key finding shows that a discourse supporting gender equality and men's full responsibility for IPV and SA is fighting to achieve recognition in this setting.