Honduras vows to apply parity to political parties and systematically implement the National Gender Plan

Improved living conditions and housing, and proactive State employment programmes are among the measures Honduras has used and will continue to deploy to advance gender equality. To reduce maternal mortality, it has made the issue one of the main planks in health system reforms. Starting in 2016, Honduras will apply the principle of parity to managerial positions within political parties and elected posts. Since domestic violence and femicide are among the main constraints to gender equity in the country, it commits to initiatives aimed at better understanding these phenomena, their impact on policies to promote gender equality and the development of effective strategies to tackle them. Implementation of its new Gender Equality and Equity Plan will begin through guidelines for integration of related activities in the strategic planning of all State institutions. Speaking at the Global Leaders' Meeting on 27 September 2015, President Juan Orlando Hernández said: “Two decades past the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action, my country, Honduras, has made significant inroads in the promotion of gender equality and equity.” [Speech]