Mujeres Fuertes, Part 2

Warning: I (Elizabet) am getting more verbose now. :) I don´t have too many answers or insights . . . just some thoughts and questions for sharing:
-Demographically, I keep hearing that the ratio of the country is 5 or 7 women to every one man (depending on the time of year and immigration patterns). As a result, women often fill both bread-winning and care-giving roles. (At least, here in the city . . . I haven´t had too much opportunity to observe rural life yet). Several of my female Nicaraguan friends recognize and sigh about the remaining problems of machismo here--and get caught between the machismo and the demographic reality of the power and influence of women in the society.
-Families also take on a very different structure as women (and men) attempt to balance these roles. Birth control is not widely used, and abortion was just made illegal (with the punishment of 3 years in prison falling on the woman). Families with a mother and father together are not common--grandmothers and aunts are very important.
-There have been multiple models of women in power. Nicaragua had a female president in the early 90s, and last week I met a couple women who are major leaders within protestant denominations here (one is a bishop).
-There are interesting linguistic changes happening in the academic settings here. I´m hearing and seeing the use of tod@s (for "todos y todas"--to include both genders linguistically).
-Mary is clearly an important figure--relgiously and culturally (see Alan´s thoughts above).