Better Work Nicaragua
In operation since 2010, Better Work Nicaragua focused on improving the working conditions and competitiveness of Nicaragua’s garment industry. When the Government of Nicaragua requested to withdraw from the ILO in February 2025, it left the future of Better Work in the country uncertain. While the ILO remains committed to enabling decent work in the sector, Better Work operations in factories in Nicaragua have ended.
Better Work Nicaragua has contributed to significant progress of the compliance performance of the garment industry through a combination of advisory services, training, and industry seminars between compliance assessments.
The programme expanded opportunities for decent work on the factory floor as well as strengthened public policies, institutions and practices at the national level. As part of its commitment to addressing discrimination, particularly based on gender, the programme has embedded gender equality throughout its operations. There is strong evidence highlighting that factories make improvements as they become more mature in their participation in the programme, as evidenced by declining non-compliance with ILO labour standards and national labour law in the areas of contracts, occupational safety and health and working time.
Strategic Goals
Better Work Nicaragua’s 2023-2027 strategic phase will work to achieve the following outcomes
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Contribution to Priority Themes
Better Work`s global strategy, Sustaining Impact sets out eight thematic priorities for our programme of work. Better Work Nicaragua`s work focuses on four of these cross-cutting themes, which are essential to achieving our strategic outcomes and will be present in our factory engagement, research, policy influencing and content produced as well as affect how we allocate our human and financial resources:
Data and Evidence
The use and accessibility of key Better Work factory data collected through assessment, advisory and training is constantly under review. Better Work Nicaragua is committed to evidence-based impact measurement to assess the impact of the POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) intervention. Results will be used to further raise awareness about the importance of work on this issue among constituents.
Gender Equality and Inclusion
Better Work Nicaragua has developed a holistic methodology called “POSH – Prevention of Sexual Harassment”, which works with factories for six months to implement a comprehensive intervention. This approach will continue to be expanded (currently in one third of Better Work Nicaragua factories) to more companies.
Occupational Safety and Health
Better Work Nicaragua will continue to work on building a safety and health culture through worker-management dialogue and strengthening the unions’ capacity to work productively with employers on this thematic area. The programme will also focus on the management systems required for developing, implementing, achieving and maintaining safety and health policies.
Social Dialogue
Social Dialogue is at the core of factory level work in Nicaragua as the programme has supported the establishment of strong bi-partite committees at the enterprise level. The programme continues to strengthen these committees and their members to make inclusive and transparent social dialogue the norm in the sector.
