SHARECountry Data
Honduras (Republic of Honduras) has a Unicameral parliament with legislated quotas for the single/lower house and at the sub-national level. 27 of 128 (21%) seats in the Congreso Nacional / National Congress are held by women.
At a glance
Structure of Parliament: Unicameral
Are there legislated quotas...
- For the Single/Lower House? Yes
- For the Sub-National Level? Yes
Are there voluntary quotas...
- Adopted by political parties? No
Is there additional information?...
- Yes
Last updated: Mar 19, 2018
Single/Lower House
Congreso Nacional / National Congress
| Total seats | 128 |
| Total Women | 27 |
| % Women | 21% |
| Election Year | 2017 |
| Electoral System | List PR |
| Quota Type | Legislated Candidate Quotas¤ |
| Election details | IDEA Voter Turnout - IPU Parline |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas¤ | Constitution | |
| Electoral law | The candidate lists of the political parties for the elections for the National Congress must include at least 40% women candidates. Candidate lists in single-member constituencies must include a female principal candidate and a male alternate, or vice versa. (Electoral Law 2009 amended in 2012, Articles 105 and 116) | |
| Political funding legislation | Political parties are obliged to submit to the Electoral Commission a report of how they have integrated gender balance in their internal elections for primaries, 6 months before the elections. If a political party violates the gender balance in its internal elections, it will be charged a fine of 5% of the total state funding for the parties (Electoral Law 2009 amended in 2012, Article 104). | |
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | Electoral law | If a political party violates the gender balance, it will be charged a fine of 5% of the total state funding for the parties (Electoral Law 2009 amended in 2012, Article 104). |
| Rank order/placement rules | Electoral law | None |
| Is the provision of direct public funding to political parties related to gender equality among candidates? | No | See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
| Are there provisions for other financial advantages to encourage gender equality in political parties? | Yes, other | Political parties are obliged to elaborate a no gender-discrimination policy and to submit it to the EMB prior to any election. If they fail to comply with that policy, a fine equivalent to 5% of the public funding will be imposed to the corresponding political party See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
Quota at the Sub-National Level
- Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas¤
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas¤ | Constitution | |
| Electoral law | The candidate lists of the political parties for the elections for the regional and municipal councils must include at least 40% women candidates. (Electoral Law 2009 amended in 2012, Articles 105 and 116) | |
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | Electoral law | If a political party violates the gender balance, it will be charged a fine of 5% of the total state funding for the parties (Electoral Law 2009 amended in 2012, Article 104). |
| Rank order/placement rules | Electoral law | None |
Additional Information
A 30 per cent quota for women was first adopted in 2000. The quota was intended to regulate the actual distribution of seats and to be increased until a 50–50 balance between men and women was reached. In 2001, the first national election was held with this new law, but the percentage of women in the legislature did not increase.
In light of the general elections scheduled for November 2013, the Electoral Law was amended, providing for a 40 per cent quota for women in party structures and candidate lists for presidential and legislative elections, elections to the Central American Parliament, municipalities and governorates. In multi-member constituencies or districts with only one seat to be filled, if the principal candidate is a man, the alternate must be a woman and vice versa. Furthermore, from 2013, political parties shall be granted special public funding which must be used exclusively for capacity building and promotion of women’s political participation.
For the 2016 primaries and for the general elections to be held after this date, the quota will be increased to 50 per cent for each gender.
Sources
LEGAL SOURCES:
- Ley Electoral y de las Organizaciones Políticas, Decreto núm. 44-2004 [Law on elections and political organizations, Decree No. 44-2004];
OTHER SOURCES:
- Tribunal Supremo Electoral [Supreme Electoral Tribunal], Fortaleciendo el Sistema Democrático Hondureño [Strengthening the Honduran democratic system], Equidad de Género [Gender equality] (Official website)
Additional reading
- Honduras Parliament website, http://congresonacional.hn/