Discrimination against women: UN expert group on first official visit to Honduras

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GENEVA / TEGUCIGALPA (30 October 2018) – The UN Working Group on discrimination against women in law and in practice will make its first official visit to Honduras from 1 to 14 November 2018 to assess progress in achieving gender equality and the protection and promotion of women’s human rights.

“The Working Group is particularly interested in legislative reforms and policies that have been implemented by the Government of Honduras to promote women's rights and gender equality,” said Ivana Radačić, who currently heads the expert group.

“We will also be looking at aspects of law and practice which affect women’s participation in political and public life, their health, in particular their sexual and reproductive health, as well as their access to justice, education, social services and labour opportunities.”

Radačić said that the group would also focus on gender-based violence as a cross-cutting issue, women victims of various forms of discrimination, including those living in poverty, indigenous and Afro-Honduran women (Garífuna), migrant, rural women and LBTIQ+.

During its official visit, the Working Group’s delegation, comprising Radačić and Alda Facio, will meet with Government officials at national and local levels, representatives of civil society organisations, community members, women victims and academics.

The experts will hold meetings in Tegucigalpa, La Esperanza, San Pedro Sula, El Progreso, La Ceiba in order to gather information on issues related to gender equality and discrimination against women in various contexts.

A press conference to share the delegation’s preliminary findings will be held on Wednesday 14 November at noon, in “Salón Conferencia” of the Hotel Plaza San Martín. Access is limited to accredited media.

The Working Group will present its report on the visit to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2019.

ENDS

The UN Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice was created by the Human Rights Council in 2011 to identify, promote and exchange views, in consultation with States and other actors, on good practices related to the elimination of laws that discriminate against women. The Group is also tasked with developing a dialogue with States and other actors on laws that have a discriminatory impact where women are concerned.

The Working Group is composed of five independent experts: the Current Chair: Ivana Radačić (Croatia), Alda Facio (Costa Rica), Elizabeth Broderick (Australia), Meskerem Geset Techane (Ethiopia) and Melissa Upreti (Nepal).

UN Human Rights, country page – Honduras

For inquiries and media requests, please contact:
In Tegucigalpa (during the visit): Evelyn Molina (+504 9441 2869/ consultantmolina@ohchr.org )
In Geneva: Bernadette Arditi (+41 22 917 9159 or +41 79 752 0485 / barditi@ohchr.org) or write to wgdiscriminationwomen@ohchr.org

For media inquiries related to other UN mandates: Jeremy Laurence, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / jlaurence@ohchr.org)

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