Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Commend Honduras on Progress Made on Trafficking, Ask about High Levels of Femicide and Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the ninth periodic report of Honduras, with Committee Experts commending the State on progress made in the area of human trafficking, while asking questions about the high rates of femicide in the country, and the alarming prevalence of the human papillomavirus. 

A Committee Expert said it was commendable that human trafficking prosecution units had been established in two major cities in Honduras.  Would the Government consider adopting a new national trafficking plan, following the expiration of the previous plan?  It was also commendable that penalties for trafficking had been increased. 

One Committee Expert said statistics had been received that every 23 hours there was one female death in Honduras, and 60 per cent of these died at the hands of partners.  What were the main gaps identified by the State’s analysis of femicides and what were the measures envisaged for tackling this phenomenon?  Would the Penal Code be reviewed to increase the punishments for femicide?  What was the number of effective convictions for femicides in the past two years?

Another Committee Expert said the numbers of positive cases of human papillomavirus were high and alarming.  Were there education processes in place to help women to protect themselves?  Six out of 10 women tested had legions and were therefore starting to develop cervical cancer.  Would there be education programmes, and awareness raising programmes for girls and women, particularly those of school age, to help them protect themselves?  If such programmes were not in place, would they be developed?  What was being done to ensure immunisation for every woman and girl in the country? 

The delegation said that the Government did not intend to hide figures relating to attacks against women; on the contrary it wished to make this transparent.  Femicide was more common than diseases and epidemics.  Women were murdered with firearms and as a result of stabbings and strangulation.  There needed to be a plan to combat femicide and the violent deaths of women.  The code of impunity would be amended thanks to the gender-responsive approach and the work being done by civil society.  There was a firm will to change impunity, which represented repression on the rights of women in Honduras.

Doris Yolany Garcia Paredes,State Secretary at the Office for Women’s Affairs of Honduras and Head of Delegation, said the human papillomavirus was a serious problem for Honduras.  Cervical cancer was one of the most prevalent cancers in the country.  It was preventable, but a lot of work needed to be done to reach all women in the country.  It was important to ensure there was correct, well-targeted prevention, which was a key goal of the Government.  Alliances had already been built with some organizations to put in place awareness raising and preventative campaigns to help reduce the high instances of this serious problem. 

Introducing the report, Ms. Garcia Paredes said the coup of June 2009 changed the course of history in Honduras, which had been focused on overcoming economic crises, reducing inequalities, and building a popular power with and for the people.  In the end, the coup d'état had fractured the country, stopped its development, and divided Honduran society, installing a 13-year dictatorship that caused poverty, drug trafficking, organised crime, corruption, and forced disappearance.  The National Congress became an accomplice of the interests of the national oligarchy, causing a significant setback for the human rights of women, including through the repeal of the use, distribution and commercialisation of emergency contraceptive pills, and leaving the prohibition of abortion shielded through constitutional reform.  The power groups did not realise that they were opening the way for the largest social and political movement, crystallised in the significant triumph on 28 November 2021, when the first female Constitutional President of the Republic was elected by an overwhelming majority, after 200 years of being ruled by men. 

In concluding remarks, Ms. Garcia Paredes said the Committee had been very generous to Honduras, and it was hoped that now with a female President, the Government would be able to unite forces and implement all the activities, and turn all dreams and aspirations into reality. 

Gladys Acosta Vargas, Committee Chairperson, thanked the delegation for the constructive dialogue with the Committee, which had provided further insight into the situation of women and girls in Honduras.  Ms. Acosta Vargas commended Honduras for its progress and encouraged Honduras to take measures to implement all recommendations of the Committee for the benefit of all women and girls in the country. 

The delegation of Honduras consisted of representatives from the Office of Women’s Affairs; the Office of Cooperation and International Promotion; the Human Rights Promotion Office; the Security Office in Police Affairs; the Social Development Office; and the Permanent Representative of Honduras to the United Nations Office at Geneva. 

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s eighty-third session is being held from 10 to 28 October.  All the documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Meeting summary releases can be found here.  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

The Committee will next meet in public at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 20 October, to review the sixth periodic review of Gambia (CEDAW/C/GMB/6).

Report

The Committee has before it the ninth periodic report of Honduras (CEDAW/C/HND/9).

Presentation of Report

DORIS YOLANY GARCIA PAREDES,State Secretary at the Office for Women’s Affairs of Honduras and Head of Delegation, said the coup of June 2009 changed the course of history in Honduras, which had been focused on overcoming economic crises, reducing inequalities, and building a popular power with and for the people.  In the end, the coup d'état fractured the country, stopped its development, and divided Honduran society, installing a 13-year dictatorship that caused poverty, drug trafficking, organised crime, corruption, and forced disappearance.  The National Congress became an accomplice of the interests of the national oligarchy, causing a significant setback for the human rights of women, including through the repeal of the use, distribution and commercialisation of emergency contraceptive pills, and leaving the prohibition of abortion shielded through constitutional reform.  The power groups did not realise that they were opening the way for the largest social and political movement, crystallised in the significant triumph on 28 November 2021, when the first female Constitutional President of the Republic was elected by an overwhelming majority, after 200 years of being ruled by men. 

After 70 days of Government, the Secretariat of State was created in the Office of Women's Affairs; a historic decision that recognised the hierarchy and leadership of women's institutions in the country.  The Secretariat became the governing body of women’s rights and public policies, and its budget was increased from 43 to 53 million Honduran lempira by 2022.  The Optional Protocol to the Convention had been forwarded by the President to the National Congress for approval, and a high-level commission was installed with the purpose of agreeing on a consensual version of the first Comprehensive Law against Violence against Women.  The Government was in the process of finalising the National Action Plan against Violence against Women, from 2023-2033, and was in the process of establishing a plan for gender equality and justice during the same period.  The first specialised national survey on violence against women and girls over 15 years of age was in the process of being prepared, coordinated with the National Institute of Statistics, with support from the United Nations Development Programme. 
  
The Penal Code was being revised to achieve significant changes in access to justice, especially for women, including the approval of the Amnesty Law, to repair the damage caused to the victims affected during the coup of 2009, which had benefitted nine Hondurans so far.  In the case of Keyla Martinez, due follow-up had been given to promote the exhaustive investigation, the clarification of the facts, and the identification and the urgent punishment of those responsible in accordance with international gender standards. 

Under the Gender Policy of the National Police, 70 per cent of new leadership positions at the inter-departmental level were represented by female police officers.  Training processes had been initiated with the Ministry of National Defence, with emphasis on issues such as human rights and gender equality.  A draft law was created for the immediate search for disappeared women.  More than 6,000 officials had been trained on the prevention of gender discrimination, the human rights of groups in vulnerable situations, and sexual harassment.  For the first time, a budget for the National Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders had been allocated, and it was currently dealing with 53 cases.

The solidarity fund for persons with disabilities in Honduras responded to the urgent commitment to provide comprehensive protection and guarantee of a dignified life to people with disabilities, especially women; 120 grants were awarded to the same number of girls and adolescents in conditions of vulnerability, from six departments, prioritised for poverty and extreme poverty.  Progress had been made to reform the law that created the National Solidarity Credit Programme for Rural Women.  Reimbursements were made to 245 women's organizations for the implementation of investment plans in sectors such as coffee, basic grains, vegetables, and livestock.  The regulation on the principle of parity and the alternation mechanism was implemented during the last previous electoral process by the Freedom and Refoundation Party.  Ms. Garcia Paredes said being a woman in Honduras today meant a historic opportunity to confront centuries of patriarchy, exclusion, inequality, and violence in all its forms.

Questions by a Committee Expert

LETICIA BONIFAZ ALONZO, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Honduras, said it was important to note there had been a change of Government.  There was grave concern relating to the reforms prohibiting abortion and which supported the prohibition of the emergency contraceptive pill, as well as provisions on same sex marriages.  Was there any plan to repeal these constitutional reforms?  What was the justification for reducing the sentences for femicide?  Were there any plans to repeal these changes?  Were there any plans to revise the changes regarding the short sentences for rape?  Some 752 complaints had been received; what was being done to improve the administration of justice system? 

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the reforms had been inherited and there were different political parties in the current parliament, and consensus was needed to tackle these issues.  The President had reiterated publicly that she would make it a priority to repeal the decree which decriminalised the distribution of emergency contraception.  Whenever any progress was made, opposing groups pushed back very strongly, particularly in cases of vulnerable groups or violence against women.  The judiciary bore strong marks of the dictatorship, and reform was needed in this area.  The Government faced discrimination and boycott campaigns on a daily basis, due to suggesting reforms which could benefit the population, particularly when it came to women’s rights, vulnerable populations and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer community. 

The Government did not intend to hide figures relating to attacks against women; on the contrary it wished to make this transparent.  Femicide was more common than diseases and epidemics.  Women were murdered with firearms and as a result of stabbings and strangulation.  There needed to be a plan to combat femicide and the violent deaths of women.  The code of impunity would be amended thanks to the gender-responsive approach and the work being done by civil society.  There was a firm will to change impunity, which represented repression on the rights of women in Honduras.  Honduras had definite plans to reform the Firearms Act.

Follow-up Question and Answer

LETICIA BONIFAZ ALONZO, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Honduras, said she hoped she understood correctly that reforms would take place.

DORIS YOLANY GARCIA PAREDES,State Secretary at the Office for Women’s Affairs of Honduras and Head of Delegation, said the approval of the emergency contraceptive pill was definitely on the agenda.  The Government was hoping this would see the light of day, due to the commitment made during the election manifesto.  There were great hopes for the new administration of justice. 

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert congratulated Honduras for the developments achieved in recent years in the area of women’s rights, especially as the President was a woman; this was an example which should inspire the international community, and the State should be congratulated for this.  What was the new mandate for the new Secretariat of State?  How would it work with the other Government Ministries?  What budget and human resources did it have?  Following the creation of different bodies, how would all this work together with the new Secretariat of State?  Did the State party intend to develop a national strategy to push forward women’s rights?  Was there another advisory body where women’s organizations could participate in designing public policies?  The Expert congratulated the National Commission for Human Rights on its wide mandate and its A status classification.  Had the assessment to strengthen the capabilities of the Commission been taken into account by the State?

A Committee Expert asked if there were plans to include any temporary special measures for women, including in the workplace?  The measures should lead to the inclusion of indigenous women, and women with disabilities.

Responses by the Delegation

DORIS YOLANY GARCIA PAREDES,State Secretary at the Office for Women’s Affairs of Honduras and Head of Delegation, said it was hoped by the end of the administration, poverty would be significantly reduced.  Through the President, the Secretariat had a bill to repeal laws, which was not a power previously held.  It was hoped the Budget would substantially improve over time.  It was hoped that the Secretariat would be allocated the budget that the women of Honduras deserved.  To date, 26 gender units had been created.  The cross-cutting nature of gender rights was a substantive change in budget allocations.  Honduras was working within the guidelines that indicated that every Secretariat of State should have a gender unit, and the necessary budget.  It was important that the Government had already taken stock of the previous gender equality plan.  The third plan proposed by the new Government, covering from 2023 to 2033, should go beyond any of the challenges that the second plan was unable to address. 

The delegation said the network for solidarity was a strategy that included mitigating actions to lead to the relaunch of family economies, to ensure increased income, promoting community and social involvement.  Women needed to be empowered to overcome poverty.  The virtual wallet was created to bring in those living with disabilities.  Through this initiative, a comprehensive reform was being reviewed, working together with indigenous people, which would lean strongly on gender equality and inclusion.  In all the measures being taken, everything was intersectoral.  Twenty-five gender units had been established.  The Commission that investigated cases of femicide had support from the Secretariat, and was pushing for timely investigations.  The Commission had the goal of reducing impunity around these crimes. 

Questions and Responses

A Committee Expert asked if the Institute of Women was being taken out of society and that gender units were being set up instead.  How did these gender units coordinate among themselves?  Would the knowledge gathered from staff from the Institute be redeployed?

DORIS YOLANY GARCIA PAREDES,State Secretary at the Office for Women’s Affairs of Honduras and Head of Delegation, said it was hoped the Secretariat could make all necessary changes and focus on the goals set out by the President, including women living in poverty.  There needed to be an established budget to ensure the gender units could be fully operational.  All public expenditure needed to occur pursuant to gender equality principles.  Political activists had made up the majority of staff from the Institute of Women.  There were more than 100 officials, and 38 officials from the Institute were now Secretariat staff.  They had all undergone training.  There were 298 local offices which carried out training programmes, and work was carried out on local policies for women, which were in line with the national plan.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert said there was a high level of gender stereotyping and assigning women primary care roles in Honduras.  Early and child marriages and early unions were reported, as well as high levels of teenage pregnancies.  What was the State doing to modify roles in domestic environments to ensure care roles were not concentrated on women?  How was the Government tacking issues of harmful practices through education?  Concerning hate crimes, what were the measures to ensure prosecution and punishment and reparation for victims?  How did the case of Vicky Hernandez influence the changes in legislation on hate crimes and femicide?  The high numbers of more than 46,000 cases of domestic violence reported in 2021 were alarming; how was enhanced access to justice provided for women?  Statistics had been received that every 23 hours there was one female death in Honduras, and 60 per cent of these died at the hands of partners.  What were the main gaps identified by the State’s analysis of femicides and what were the measures envisaged for tackling this phenomenon?  Would the Penal Code be reviewed to increase the punishments for femicide?  What was the number of effective convictions for femicides in the past two years?

A Committee Expert said it was commendable that human trafficking prosecution units had been established in two major cities in Honduras.  Would the Government consider adopting a new national trafficking plan, following the expiration of the previous plan?  It was also commendable that penalties for trafficking had been increased.  Why was it that no trafficking cases were identified in 2021?  There was little information on human trafficking regarding minors, indigenous people and those who belonged to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex communities. 

Responses by the Delegation

DORIS YOLANY GARCIA PAREDES, State Secretary at the Office for Women’s Affairs of Honduras and Head of Delegation, said it was a substantial step for Honduras to have a comprehensive law against violence against women.  A separate bill had been introduced for shelters, and this was still being discussed.  If the comprehensive law went forward, it was important to know what was covered, and whether these laws overlapped.  Both initiatives aimed to protect the lives of victims.  Transnational organised crime in the country had led to violence against women and there was a need to prevent this.  Building up the family could lead to many actions being stemmed at the root.  Honduras was the first country in Central America to develop a programme which paid particular attention to families.  There was a need for this kind of programme, which was implemented from 2011 to 2013, and fostered training around 10 communities, fostering the training of over 60 professionals.  Training was given to families, parents, and schools. 

The delegation said 120 grants had been given to children from vulnerable areas, who lived in extreme poverty.  In 2019, 25 cases of trafficking were registered.  Modifications had been introduced in the trafficking law.  Compensation had been paid to Vicky Hernandez’ family.  Honduras was trying to implement a national policy to prevent teen pregnancy through identifying the causes of adolescent pregnancies in the country, and to eradicate established gender stereotypes, which led to unwanted parenthood. 

A disability fund had been established to provide a decent living for persons with disabilities, to reduce violence against women with disabilities, and to promote their economic independence.  Everything being done was gender sensitive.  Part of the State budget was being allocated towards crime prevention.  Six rapid response units had been created to combat violence against women.  Honduras had the highest adolescent pregnancy rate in Latin America which was a matter of concern.  Girls were dying because of this, and this was unacceptable. 

Questions and Responses

A Committee Expert said the Government should follow international documents when it came to trafficking. 

Another Committee Expert asked what was being done to orient women in political processes and to allow them better access to processes which denounced political violence.  Were there plans to improve the political representation of rural women in their communities?  If so, could these measures be described?

DORIS YOLANY GARCIA PAREDES,State Secretary at the Office for Women’s Affairs of Honduras and Head of Delegation, said legislation was needed to ensure women fully participated in politics and public life.  To reduce gender inequalities, the political participation of women was crucial as that was where there was access to power and decision making.  The law which looked at women’s participation was one that the State hoped would be properly approved.  Rural women had been excluded from politics, and this was due to a lack of finances and logistical support.  Developments had been made in political issues, including the watershed moment of the election of the first female President.  Of the 128 parliamentarians, over 30 were women.  The launch of the people’s power was an initiative of the Government to increase the participation of people.  The President faced political violence due to conservative groups, which opposed the transformation of the country. 

Questions by a Committee Expert

A Committee Expert commended the State for activating the national registry office to issue birth certificates through its 22 departments and other offices, resulting in more than 16,000 birth certificates being issued between 2017 and 2020.  Was there continued progress in this area, especially in regard to addressing the needs of stateless women and migrant children?  How did the State know the global numbers they were dealing with?  How was success measured regarding the success of the “Identify Yourself” initiative, which resulted in the issuing of 4 million documents, regarding the needs of stateless women and children?  What more needed to be done to improve the situation?  Reports had been received that asylum seeking families faced extortion by local authorities when attempting to access documentation.  What were the measures that the State could take to address these situations, to facilitate the needs of migrant women and children and stateless women?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the goal of the Government was that no Honduran had to leave their country due to irregular migration.  It was hoped the first national policy on migration would soon be adopted, to bring together all the efforts being deployed within the country for the comprehensive protection of compatriots, as well as those crossing borders.  The Government was restructuring its consulates, with the goal to have a human approach based on equality.  Children who had been born to Honduran parents in El Salvador were being registered, and these parents had a 90-day grace period in order to register their children’s births.  This would be a long process due to the ongoing restructuring process.  Electronic passports were being offered in the 14 consulates and in Spain.  This had been worked on for the registration of persons and their identification.  Honduras had a national council to protect Honduran migrants.  There was an overwhelming vote for the support of migrants to improve the situation of migrants transiting through the country.  Through the initiative of the national institute of migration, a joint commission was created to pay attention to migrants coming to Honduras, or transiting from Cuba, Haiti or other areas.  There was a national migration policy which focused on the guarantee of human rights for migrants, through the Amnesty Law, just as occurred with Honduran citizens. 

In response to a question about the timeline for the national migration policy, the
delegation said the team working on the national migration policy was active.  It was hoped that legislative authorities would soon approve this law in the short term.

Questions by a Committee Expert

A Committee Expert commended the State for the education policy for indigenous children.  Twelve per cent of persons over the age of 15 were not literate and the pandemic had exacerbated school dropouts, with the worst rates felt in the rural areas.  How would the education gap be addressed, including the rates of girls in schools?  Would temporary special measures be considered?  How could the State move forward to implement sexuality guidelines in line with the Convention, which addressed the issues of power, to prevent adolescent pregnancy?  What measures had been taken to retain pregnant women in schools?  What was the impact of the programme which started during COVID, which could be applied to adolescent pregnancy?  Violence and bullying occurred in the educational sector, leading to people wanting to leave school or even commit suicide.  What did Honduran data show on this phenomenon?  What mechanisms were in place to deal with it? 

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the Government had been working on technical advisory work to provide support for gender mainstreaming for all institutions that worked with the national education programme.  By the third year of Government, it was hoped that enrolment for girls, indigenous women, migrant women and other communities would be increased.  In May this year, the State achieved 52 per cent of girls’ school enrolment in primary schools, and a 56 per cent enrolment rate of girls in middle school.  The Government had identified areas where there was a concentration of persons who were illiterate.  A programme for action and solidarity was planned for areas of poverty and illiteracy.    

Statement by the Public Defender and National Human Rights Commissioner

BLANCA IZAGUIRRE, Public Defender and National Human Rights Commissioner, said the Committee should ensure that there were funds to ensure investigations into cases of femicide and to improve the law on shelters, and access to justice.  The Public Defender supported the President’s work and applauded that the State was committed to the rights of women, seen in the establishment of the Secretariat.  The Public Defender believed that preventative action must be taken to ensure human rights; it was important to begin urgent action to ensure human rights in the country.  Complaints had been received regarding the lack of will in the country, including from religious organizations and their interests.  Complaints had been received regarding the lack of public policy on human rights.  The Penal Code reform relating to the crime of femicide was necessary, and there must be a gender-responsive approach.  The State needed to inform the Committee about measures taken to ensure the independence of the National Human Rights Commissioner, pursuant to the Paris Principles.  The Public Defender was committed to alliances and strategies and action which would have a positive impact on the lives of women and girls. 

Responses by the Delegation

DORIS YOLANY GARCIA PAREDES,State Secretary at the Office for Women’s Affairs of Honduras and Head of Delegation, said women made up 52 per cent of Honduras’ population; there were 4.9 million women in Honduras, with 44 per cent living in rural areas; 73 per cent of households lived in poverty, and of this number, 75 per cent had female heads of household; 54 per cent were living in extreme poverty.  A gender specific handbook had been distributed in hundreds of schools, across nine departments, where there was a concentration of poor households.  Gender-responsive leadership causes had been held throughout the country.  A key focus would be lowering the illiteracy rates in the country, which particularly harmed women

Questions and Responses

A Committee Expert said the rate that girls dropped out of school due to teenage pregnancy was discriminatory to them.  The issue of contraception was of the utmost importance.

DORIS YOLANY GARCIA PAREDES,State Secretary at the Office for Women’s Affairs of Honduras and Head of Delegation, said girls were a priority for the Government, and the issue of preventing adolescent pregnancy was closely linked with education.  This issue was being approached holistically, with the aim to reduce the high rate of early pregnancies in girls to the lowest possible levels.  Strong legislation was vital to support efforts in this area.  The State was focused on determining the structural reasons which led to adolescent girls becoming pregnant.  It was important to have qualitative data about this, to respond to the problem and develop a national plan which assisted the population.  These adolescents needed to find economic and financial empowerment so they could flourish. 

A Committee Expert asked what was being done to ensure secular education in Honduras?

The delegation said the background was complex; there were sex education guides and work had been done to provide comprehensive sex education for youth and girls.  After 2009, the surge of religious groups and the coup had meant this was all scaled back.  The new Government was trying to build on the progress from way back.  The work involved updating the work from 2009 and implementing everything done prior to the coup d’état.  Progress could be made although it would not be easy.  The political will was there.  A lot of work needed to be done with the media, regarding the right to life, which was complex.  New policies would be defined, but they could not be shared with the Committee at this time. 

Questions by a Committee Expert

A Committee Expert said the labour market in Honduras was precarious, with some sectors having negative impacts on women’s health, such as the textile sector.  Were there policies to ensure more formal employment for women presently in the informal sector?  Were there specific policies to protect domestic workers from exploitation at work?  Were there possibilities to improve the labour conditions of women?  What measures had been taken to prevent sexual harassment at work?  Was it foreseen for Honduras to ratify International Labour Organization Conventions 189 and 190 on domestic workers and sexual harassment respectively?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the labour gap between men and women continued to be one of the issues which made inequality so deeply rooted in Honduras.  There was a huge salary gap between men and women.  The conditions in factories were not favourable for women.  Legislation had tried to improve the situation, however, there were a lot of grey zones when it came to this legislation.  Some initiatives had been developed, including a new economic model which provided women with better work opportunities.  The current working conditions had been assessed, and it was understood that there needed to be fundamental changes of all institutions.  There was healthcare for women living with HIV and medication provided to these women to ensure they were in good health. 

It needed to be ensured that domestic workers had both better working and living conditions.  Progress had been made in this area by civil society, and it was hoped this would be included in the national policy for women which would be launched in the next few months.  Training had been provided to more than 750 people in technical building and accounting systems, and 22 per cent of participants were women.  Focusing on people living in extreme poverty was the priority of the State.

A letter of commitment had been signed to create a technical working group to review Convention 190 of the International Labour Organization which was being consulted on in view of its signature.  An informal dialogue was being held with trade unions to guarantee the rights of workers.

Questions by a Committee Expert

A Committee Expert commended Honduras on its efforts to improve the healthcare system, which had resulted in the decrease in the number of maternal deaths in rural and urban areas.  What efforts were being made to expand access to quality health and reproductive services, especially in rural areas?  The number of positive cases of human papillomavirus was high and alarming; what were education processes in place to help women to protect themselves?  What was being done to ensure immunisation for every woman and girl in the country?  How would the State party ensure that the early pregnancy protection plan was applied without intervention from religious fundamentalists and discrimination?  Would the State party support rural women and women with low income by providing free contraception and access to the emergency pill?  What actions had the State taken to ensure access to bodily autonomy?  Would cases of prohibition of abortions exclude pregnancy as a result of rape or incest, and threat to the mother’s life?  The number of cases in HIV/AIDS in Honduras was increasing and medications were still not available.  What efforts were being carried out to eliminate stereotypes against women with HIV?  What measures were being undertaken to prohibit forced sterilisation?  What was being done to provide treatment to women with HIV?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the budget for healthcare had been increased significantly in 2022, and there was an increase planned for 2023.  In March, a roundtable had been held to establish the first policy to prevent unwanted teenage pregnancies.  This was a priority in the Government’s agenda.  Measures were in place to guarantee healthcare when it came to pregnancy, giving birth and postpartum.  The Government was concerned about the healthcare system in Honduras and was trying to change the landscape.  Mechanisms were being developed for adolescents, which included specialised attention when it came to reproductive health rights.

Questions and Responses

A Committee Expert was alarmed about the human papillomavirus virus, with 6 out of 10 women tested having legions and were therefore starting to develop cervical cancer.  Would there be education programmes and awareness raising programmes for girls and women, particularly those of school age, to help them protect themselves?  If such programmes were not in place, would they be developed?

DORIS YOLANY GARCIA PAREDES,State Secretary at the Office for Women’s Affairs of Honduras and Head of Delegation, said this was a serious problem for the country.  Cervical cancer was one of the most prevalent cancers in Honduras.  It was preventable, but a lot of work needed to be done to reach all women in the country.  It was important to ensure there was correct, well-targeted prevention, which was a key goal of the Government.  Alliances had already been built with some organizations to put in place awareness raising and preventative campaigns, to help reduce the high instances of this serious problem. 

Women City was one of the most important operative arms of the Secretariat.  Cervical cancer and its prevention were one of the priorities.  Through the Women City initiatives, there were laboratories which specialised in the early detection of the human papillomavirus virus through vaginal examinations.  There were specialised gynaecologists that focused on the genes most likely to mutate.  The vaccine against human papillomavirus was 76 per cent effective.  Educational and awareness raising campaigns also took place within the Women City Centres.

Questions by a Committee Expert

A Committee Expert asked what steps Honduras had taken to generate disaggregated data, to establish public policies promoting the economic empowerment of women?  What progress had been made on the implementation of the law on domestic workers?  What was the State party’s timeline to ratify International Labour Organization Convention 189?  Had Honduras considered doing a time-use study, which would inform public policies based on evidence, and promote a restructuring of the care economy, to advance women’s economic empowerment?  What measures were in place to protect the ancestral intellectual property of indigenous women?

Responses by the Delegation

DORIS YOLANY GARCIA PAREDES,State Secretary at the Office for Women’s Affairs of Honduras and Head of Delegation, said an unprecedented survey on the use of time was being developed.  There was invisible work being done by women all over the world.  It was important to change legislation around care work.  A round table had been established on gender-responsive budgeting.  It needed to be ensured that there was equal pay for women, and for women to have access to financing.  A programme had approved loans for rural women, however, the budget had initially not been made available.  The programme had now been renewed; 2,515 training workshops had been carried out, and direct technical assistance was provided to 77 rural centres.  Certain banks offered access to credit at a rate of 5 per cent for rural producers. 

Questions and Responses

A Committee Expert was encouraged by the time-use study which would be conducted; what was the intention of this study?  Would it seek to monetise the amount of unpaid work carried out by women?  How would it directly contribute to the economic empowerment of women?  How was the intellectual property of indigenous women protected? 

The delegation said that monetising the unpaid work of women was very important.  Indigenous women were working with great difficulties, especially those working in handicrafts, including when it came to obtaining resources.  The Government wanted to help women overcome these difficulties and make their lives more dignified.  It was hoped the survey on the use of time would lead to conclusions which could be used to form recommendations

A Committee Expert asked if there was sufficient participation from indigenous women in plans of action?  Was the Government looking to re-house women in high-risk areas?  How could access to decent housing be guaranteed?  What was being done to guarantee the right to a healthy sustainable environment?  Was something being done regarding the safety of women defending the land?

The delegation said programmes and indicators were being developed to look at the compliance of equality and the gender perspective in indigenous communities.

Honduras had been categorised as one of the most dangerous countries on earth for the defence of human rights.  Funding had been obtained to include the budget for the national mechanism for protection, which would be guaranteed until 2023.  The Government was reviewing cases to ensure that funds were allocated properly to protect human rights defenders.  The Government was making an appeal to ensure that land titles were distributed to indigenous populations and that they had the right to their land. 

A Committee Expert congratulated the State on its amendment to the Family Code, forbidding marriage to anyone under the age of 18.  How did the State party plan to improve municipal compliance with the revised Family Code which prohibited child marriage?  Did the State plan to introduce a gender-informed strategy for State institutions to provide protection to migrant girls who were involuntary returnees and who may have faced gender-based violence?  If not, was there still time for this to be done?  Would the State party be willing to recognise the rights of all women, single or in couples, to access adoption and form a family?  To what extent did the national gender equality plan address the sexual division of labour in the home, and include measures to ensure the full implementation of the Family Code, in relation to equitable sharing of household responsibilities?  Could a gender content review be carried out to guide policies on equitable sharing of household responsibilities?

The delegation said it was important to insist on the national policy for women.  Indigenous women had been able to be included in the consultations on this for the first time.  The remaining questions would be answered in writing. 

Closing Remarks

DORIS YOLANY GARCIA PAREDES,State Secretary at the Office for Women’s Affairs of Honduras and Head of Delegation, thanked the Committee and said it was unusual to be reporting at the start of the Government’s mandate.  The Committee had been very generous to Honduras, and it was hoped that now with a female President, the Government would be able to unite forces and implement all the activities, and turn all dreams and aspirations into reality. 

GLADYS ACOSTA VARGAS, Committee Chairperson, thanked the delegation for the constructive dialogue with the Committee, which had provided further insight into the situation of women and girls in Honduras.  Ms. Acosta Vargas commended Honduras for its progress and encouraged the State to take measures to implement all recommendations of the Committee for the benefit of all women and girls in the country. 

 

Link: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/meeting-summary/2022/10/experts-committee-elimination-discrimination-against-women-0

 

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