Status of Women in Honduras:

Honduras is a country where womens rights are not widely accepted or practiced. With the support of the prominent Catholic Church, womens rights have been reduced significantly. While women have the right to vote, drive, hold jobs, and even run for office, there are a number of factors which contribute to the low amount of rights that women in Honduras possess. Poverty is the leading cause for womens right violations. As a result of poverty, most women are exposed to violence. These women have an impaired ability to earn their own money and often have to make difficult decisions that land them back in economically disadvantaged situations. For example, girls that are victims of rape may find themselves blacklisted by their peers and without a safe, independent outlook. Likewise, a woman dependent on an abusive spouse or significant other may not see a way of survival if she escapes from her current state. (Women from Honduras). Women face danger from multiple facets in Honduras. They are raped by members of their own military and police force. Most girls and women that say something about these incidents end up disappearing, while the government acquits the party responsible. Militarization, due to the War on Drugs is adding to the perils of women. In fact, Senator John Kerry, along with other US Senators, is currently looking in to the aid given to Honduras to ensure that it is not contributing to the human rights abuses that are committed by the military forces. (Nobel Womens Initiative). While the countries of Latin America have all ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women Act, and 14 have ratified the Optional Protocol, violence is still common. (UN Women). Feminicide, which is the killing of a woman as a result

of domestic abuse, trafficking, or a criminal enterprise, has been on the rise. From 2002 to 2010 feminicide rose by 275%-- with nearly 50 women each month falling victim to one of the above causes. (Women from Honduras). Even after years of advocacy by womens rights groups, reforming civil codes, punishing gender-based violence, and enacting gender quotas for public offices, this region still has ten of the fifteen most unequal countries in the world. (UN Women).

Image Credit: WorldMapper

Trafficking of women is a large industry of which Honduras is a source and transit country for. Lured by promises of better jobs and opportunities, many women from rural areas find themselves in a position of exploitation. Women are forced in prostitution of forced labor. One case even showed the tale of 18 Honduras working as forced laborers in Romania, after being promised better jobs. The Honduram government does not place a large emphasis on the

minimum standards for elimination of trafficking. In fact, government services for victims of trafficking, especially women, are non-existent and laws that are put in place against trafficking are ignored altogether. (Taken)

Image Credit: World Mapper

Women in Honduras can own property, but they face grave discrimination when doing so. They must constantly battle against landlords or creditors in order to keep their land or homes. (Women from Honduras). Oftentimes, women are evicted so that a male counterpart is able to take over the living space. The government has no qualms about the ways in which they evict women from their homes. In the workplace, women face sexual discrimination. Most women work in factories, which are similar to sweatshops. They work long hours and have few to no breaks. They have

neither maternity leave, nor medical care. Sexual harassment and violence is also prevalent in the workplace. For example, some institutions even force women to take a pregnancy test upon being employed. After the De Facto government took control of Honduras in 2009, womens rights have been further impeded upon. Contraceptives became outlawed and punishable by up to six months in prison. Abortion was also made illegal. As a result, Honduras has the highest rates of teen pregnancies in the whole of Central America. (Women from Honduras). Overall, Honduras is not country that enforces the rights of a woman. Women are often victimizedintentionally or unintentionally. Harassment, forced labor, unfair working conditions, and discrimination are a commonplace occurrence for Honduran women. With the recent increases in feminicide, things are only looking down for the female population in this small, Latin American country. References: Taken Women (2010). Honduras - Human Trafficking. Retrieved October 1, 2013, from http://takenwomen.webs.com/honduras.htm UN Women (2013). Americas and the Caribbean | UN Women - Headquarters. Retrieved October 1, 2013, from http://www.unwomen.org/en/where-we-are/americas-and-the-caribbean Women from Honduras (2013, January). Honduran Women's Rights. Retrieved October 1, 2013, from http://womenfromhonduras.tumblr.com/