Abortion in Honduras

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Abortion in Honduras is completely prohibited under any circumstance, and has been constitutionally prohibited since 1982.[1] The country's constitutional prohibition on abortion was further cemented by the country's Congress on January 22, 2021. In order to change this law, a three-quarters majority in the Congress will be required, or 96 out of 128 votes.

The country's prohibition causes detrimental effects on the human rights of women and girls in Honduras, particularly survivors of rape. Like in its neighbors Nicaragua and El Salvador, abortion is prohibited even in cases of rape, even though United Nations experts have found that denial of abortion can constitute torture in certain cases.[2] This is worsened by the fact that Honduras has one of the worst rates of sexual violence.[3] This has been cited as a reason for migration from the country.[4]

This is compounded by the fact that Honduras also prohibits the use of emergency contraception, the only country in the region to do so.[5] This law to prohibit the morning-after pill was vetoed by then-president Manuel Zelaya in 2009, but it was signed into law after he was removed in the 2009 Honduran coup d'état.[3][6] It was upheld by the country's Supreme Court in 2012.[7][8]

Possible change

In 2021, the country elected Xiomara Castro as its first woman president. She has pledged to legalize abortion under circumstances of rape, risk to the mother's life, and deformities to the fetus, and also to make the morning-after pill accessible. Since the prohibition on emergency contraception was written by executive order, it can be reversed unilaterally.[9] However, independent analysts state it will be difficult for her to secure the votes in Congress to change the prohibition on abortion.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Honduran abortion law: Congress moves to set total ban 'in stone'". BBC News. 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  2. ^ Braunschweiger, Amy; Wurth, Margaret (2019-06-06). "Life or Death Choices for Women Living Under Honduras' Abortion Ban: Women Tell Their Stories". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Honduras urged to put an end to birth control myths". the Guardian. 2019-04-24. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  4. ^ Filipovic, Jill. "'I Can No Longer Continue to Live Here'". POLITICO Magazine. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  5. ^ Brigada, Anna Catherine (8 December 2021). "In Honduras, first woman president faces tough fight on abortion". news.trust.org. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  6. ^ "10 Years After Ban, Honduran Activists Launch Campaign to Legalize Morning-After Pill". Remezcla. 2019-04-25. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  7. ^ "HONDURAS SET TO BAN EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION" (PDF). Amnesty International. 28 March 2012.
  8. ^ "Honduras Supreme Court Upholds Absolute Ban on Emergency Contraception, Opens Door to Criminalize Women and Medical Professionals". Center for Reproductive Rights. 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  9. ^ "Honduras: can first female president usher in a new era for women?". the Guardian. 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  10. ^ "First woman president in Honduras faces tough fight on abortion". NBC News. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
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