Vicenta González


Vicenta González is a Nicaraguan humanitarian, the founder of Asociación Mujeres Emprendedoras de las Comunidades de Upala, and a retired midwife. She was the Americas winner of the Nansen Refugee Award in 2022.

Early life

González was born in Nicaragua and has four siblings; her parents were farm workers.

Adult life and career

González married a man from Costa Rica and in 1967, at the age of 19, moved with him to Costa Rica, where they purchased a farm near Upala. González worked as a midwife from the farm.
González is the founder of Asociación Mujeres Emprendedoras de las Comunidades de Upala a Costa Rican organisation that supports women who have fled domestic and sexual abuse. She was the Americas finalist of the Nansen Refugee Award in 2022.

Personal life

González was 74 years old in 2022 and lived in San José District, Upala. She is a mother to two children, and a great grandmother.