They were told they had to wait for the sentencing decision of the assault case. She started cooking dinner in the kitchen and tried to drown him out. Overall, about 95 percent of the country’s femicides are still unpunished. Can you say something about the situation of the women in those caravans? We need leadership to address this grave human rights abuse from traditional, religious and political leaders, as well as figures from business and academia who can wield substantial social influence. Jodie Evans, by There is no justice.” Alonzo was quoted in the Oxfam Honduras report “The risk of being a woman in Honduras” (El riesgo de ser mujer en Honduras.). Fax: 612-341-2971
One example is the National Campaign Against Femicides (Tribuna contra los Femicidios). Honduras does not hold perpetrators accountable for violence against the LGBTI community and human rights defenders, including murders. Honduran law recognizes various types of domestic violence, including physical, psychological, sexual and property violence. A September report by the Association of Quality of Life (LCA) and the Women's Tribe Against Femicides found that over 17,000 children in the country have been orphaned as a direct result of rampant femicides. “In Honduras, a dead woman is just a statistic,” said Vanessa Zepeda’s mother, Bessy Alonzo. Femicide cases are heard by 14 non-specialized sentencing courts in the judiciary. Sources: Honduran Public Prosecutor’s Office and Judiciary. As the name says, this is an NGO network against femicides. “But Sierra then escaped,” says Rivera. Ensure that a comprehensive program to protect women from violence is enacted including shelters, support workers for victims, and training for criminal justice sector and implementation of the Reformed Law on Violence Against Women. Estás reportando este comentario a la redacción. To achieve gender equality we need to work with women and men. Apuesta por la comunicación transmedia para llegar con nuevos contenidos que nos ayuden a cambiar la realidad contándola, analizándola e incomodando a quienes tienen el poder. And they may well have to wait for a long time in dangerous border cities before they even get a chance to see a judge, joining nearly 50,000 people who have been returned to Mexico under the Trump administration’s “Remain in Mexico” protocols. She joins a soaring number of Honduran women fleeing due to high rates of gender-based violence along with near-total impunity for such crimes. Your email has been successfully registered. Police often release perpetrators within 24 hours — if they are arrested at all. García Girón had reported her abuser to the police four times before he tried to kill her, but law enforcement did not offer any help. Those are hate crimes. Hearing these threats, Heidy went to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Who are the NGOs in Honduras that defend women’s rights? She’s now preparing all the necessary documents to leave Honduras with her kids and seek protections in the U.S. She would have left already, but she’s waiting to have reconstructive surgery on her shoulder to repair nerve damage from the attack. She remains firm in her decision to leave her country and go to the U.S. The Advocates for Human Rights submitted a Stakeholder Report to the 36 th Session of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on violence against women in Honduras on October 19 th, 2019.. In June 2018, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a ruling stating that fleeing domestic violence was not grounds for asylum, overturning precedent that had allowed many Central American women refuge. These cases are brought before a justice system that is poorly trained in gender issues, and recent legislation has reduced the penalties for crimes of violence against women. Women who dare to report domestic violence do not receive timely care and attention – they are not safe – and this can end in femicide. And what are they demanding? The moment Heidy got to the hospital, she began demanding justice. 27% of women between 15 and 49 reported domestic violence and 95% of crimes of femicide end in no accountability for perpetrators. At the moment, not one country is set to achieve gender equality by this date, either in the developing or developed world. “[They choose to leave the county] because there are no other options.”. Furthermore, I believe in people and I think that local NGOs are very important. This puts their lives in danger. They’ve made requests to Ciudad Mujer for financial and institutional support for high-risk cases, but so far haven’t received any. Debes completar todos los campos obligatorios para poder continuar. In October of last year, García Girón returned to her home in Tegucigalpa with her partner of nine years, their 6-year-old daughter, and García Girón’s 12-year-old son. Sources: Honduran Public Prosecutor’s Office and Judiciary. Heydi Lizbeth García Girón, 34, is a survivor of attempted murder by her ex-partner. It is seen as a part of life for women, We need to promote positive representations of manhood, The Spotlight Initiative to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls is a step in the right direction. “I can’t give him any chance to think about or plan how he is going to finish killing me.”. Honduras In Honduras, femicide is also widely committed. “I can’t sleep at night because when I close my eyes, I see the image of him over me with a machete,” said García Girón, in an interview at the office of a women’s rights organization in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in June. The police consented, but only if she agreed to go along with them. Because the elections were neither, free nor fair. García Girón fears that the U.S. government will deny her case because of the Trump administration’s increased scrutiny of asylum-seekers. Along with neighboring Guatemala and El Salvador, Honduras consistently ranks among the worst countries for violence against women. 330 Second Avenue South, Suite 800
Learn more about ReliefWeb, leading online source for reliable and timely humanitarian information on global crises and disasters since 1996. Then, Andres Martinez started threatening her. Violence against women is a profound global injustice. Why doesn’t the government help us? The number of other pending femicide cases is not known; the judiciary did not respond to a freedom of information request placed by Contra Corriente. According to the U.N., a woman is killed every 18 hours in Honduras. “It’s giving an opening to aggressors to do what they want with women: mistreat them, rape them, beat them, and more.”. “So that he could finish killing me,” says Heidy, who was assaulted the day after her birthday, after she returned home from lunch with a friend. Sign In or Register to leave a comment, use the forums and more, I have already subscribed | Do not show this message again. “Hours earlier, he had been at work at the Honduran Social Security Institute [Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social], and someone tipped him off about his prison sentence. We need to set good examples for our sons to follow. The fear of what could happen if she stays in Honduras outweighs everything. That’s when she decided to leave the country. García Girón thought that it was just another one of his moods, violent but temporary. According to information received by MESECVI, justice officials continue to allow conciliation, despite the provisions of the Law against Domestic Violence.” MESECVI has asked the Honduran government to prohibit conciliation in cases of violence against women. There is a lack of respect between the government and social movements including NGOs especially if they have different opinions. Because of the lack of state protections, many women never report their abuse, Axelrod said. These reports are “extremely important” because “judges and asylum officers will automatically take them into account,” Axelrod said. Soon after, two gang members started looking for her, and she believes that her former boss sent them to kill her. Products for menstruating women however, are completely missing. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — In a small town tucked in the hills outside Tegucigalpa, there is a stuffed gray bunny rabbit that knows a little girl’s secrets.