United Nations Human Rights Committee Seeks to Ensure Access to Abortion in Honduras.

11-04-2024

Shyamali Kumar

Women’s Rights Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defence.

Honduras has been brought before the United Nations Human Rights Committee for its absolute ban on abortion. Fausia, an indigenous woman and human rights defender of the Nahua People, was raped as reprisal for defending her territory and became pregnant. The country violated her human rights by imposing pregnancy and forced motherhood on her, due to the country's total ban on abortion. This case seeks to ensure guarantees for Honduran women to access essential health services, including abortion.

The Center for Reproductive Rights and the Centro de Derechos de la Mujer (CDM) presented Fausia's case to the UN Human Rights Committee with the aim of seeking justice on her behalf. Fausia survived sexual violence and had to face forced motherhood due to the country's total ban on abortions. The prohibition of the voluntary termination of pregnancy was reinforced with a constitutional amendment approved in 2021 and is still totally prohibited.

The plaintiff organizations aspire to secure a directive from the UN Human Rights Committee mandating the Honduran State to amend its legislative framework, which unconditionally prohibits the voluntary termination of pregnancy. This prohibition was reinforced with a constitutional amendment approved in 2021 and is still totally prohibited. The criminalization of abortion affects all people who may need an abortion, particularly those in vulnerable situations, such as survivors of sexual violence.

To prevent the repetition of Fausia's story, it is necessary for the Honduran State to guarantee access to abortion under safe conditions and end the criminalization of voluntary pregnancy termination. Additionally, it is essential for the State to provide assurances of access to emergency contraceptive pills (ECP), especially for survivors of sexual violence, take measures to protect medical professional confidentiality, and implement protocols that prevent gender stereotypes from affecting survivors of sexual violence seeking healthcare or legal assistance.

In Honduras, every day, three girls under the age of 14 are compelled to sustain pregnancies resulting from rape and become mothers. The lack of access to emergency contraception pills (ECP) and the criminalization of abortion impacts their rights to life, health, integrity, equality, and non-discrimination and contravenes the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).

In the last 30 years, more than 60 countries have liberalized their laws to expand access to abortion, including some in the region like Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. However, only four countries, including Honduras, have had setbacks in their grounds. Co-litigant organizations argue that the penalization of abortion is a discriminatory measure, as it only impacts individuals with reproductive capacity and reproduces gender stereotypes about women.

Honduras' regressive policies on sexual and reproductive health constitute clear violations of the fundamental rights of women and girls, including their right to life, health, privacy, autonomy, and bodily integrity, as well as to live a life free from discrimination, torture, violence, and persecution.

Sources and further readings:

Barron’s (2024, April 10), “'Forced Motherhood': Honduras Reported To UN For Abortion Ban”. Accessed on April 11th, 2024 from 'Forced Motherhood': Honduras Reported To UN For Abortion Ban | Barron's (barrons.com)

Center for Reproductive Rights (2024, April 10), “Case at United Nations Human Rights Committee Seeks to Ensure Access to Abortion in Honduras”. Accessed on April 11th, 2024 from Case at United Nations Human Rights Committee Seeks to Ensure Access to Abortion in Honduras | Center for Reproductive Rights

Center for Reproductive Rights (2024, April 10), “Honduras has been brought before the United Nations Human Rights Committee for its ban on abortion”. Accessed on April 11th, 2024 from Honduras has been brought before the United Nations Human Rights Committee for its ban on abortion | Center for Reproductive Rights