This summary report is based on a case study of the United Nations’ joint programme ‘From Rhetoric to Reality: Promoting Women’s Participation and Gender-Responsive Budgeting, in Nicaragua’. It is one of five case studies that form part of a wider Joint Evaluation of Joint Gender Programmes in the United Nations System, which was launched in May 2012. It was the only case study conducted in the Central and Latin America region.

The overall purpose of the joint evaluation is ‘to provide evaluative information for the strategic direction and use of joint gender programmes within the United Nations system reform process and support future policy and guidance on their design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation for a more coordinated and effective United Nations system contribution to advance gender equality at the country level’.