• Live
    • Audio Only
  • google plus
  • facebook
  • twitter
News > Latin America

Honduras: Women Activists Demand Equality, Inclusion

  • Women demand more political rights in Honduras.

    Women demand more political rights in Honduras. | Photo: Reuters

Published 17 November 2017
Opinion

The protest comes just over a week before the country's regional and presidential elections.

Women from Honduras, in politics and public service, have protested outside of the country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal, TSE, in Tegucigalpa to demand more representation of women in elections. 

RELATED:
Honduras Lobbies U.S. To Extend Temporary Protection Status

Their main criticism is that they don't occupy first positions in ballot papers, despite reaching high positions. They said there is only one woman running for President, 640 seeking a place in Congress and 95 seeking to represent municipalities in the country. 

The TSE previously approved its Parity Regulation with Alternation, which allows political parties to alternate between men and women in their list if they want to do so.

In 2004, there was an obligation to include at least 30 percent of women on the ballot list for each party. By 2012, it was increased to 40 percent and for this year, it will be 50 percent.

"The lists are 50 percent filled, but women are only there beginning from the fifth position forward, that way they don't get out, they don't get elected," said Socorro Torres from the Inter-party Women's group.

Since 1954, when women were first allowed to vote, Honduras has only had two women as candidates for president: Nora de Melgar in 1997 and Xiomara Castro in 2013.

"The equal representation of women across the world continues to be a wide challenge," investigator Isabel Torres said.

She pointed out that there are currently only 11 women functioning as heads of state or in positions of high power.

Comment
0
Comments
Post with no comments.