SHARECountry Data
Honduras (Republic of Honduras) has a Unicameral parliament with the use of voluntary party quotas and 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? Yes
Is there additional information?...
- Yes
Last updated: Dec 23, 2021
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? | Yes | In regars with pubic funding destined to the financing of specific political activities, political parties have the right to receive funding that can be invested in promotion of womens leadership. See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
| Are there provisions for other financial advantages to encourage gender equality in political parties? | Yes, funding to women's wings | Electoral legislation states that, since 2013, political parties receive 10% of the amount asigned of political debt. These funds should only be used for training and promotion of women´s participation in politics. 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 |
Voluntary Political Party Quotas*
| Party | Official name | Details, Quota provisions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty and Refoundation | Libertad y Refundación [LIBRE] | "It is established that the participation of women will not be less than 50% in management responsibilities and nomination of popularly elected positions" (Article 76). | |
| National Party of Honduras | Partido Nacional de Honduras [PNH] | "Candidates lists must comply with the basis of 50% participation of women in party leadership positions" (Article 45[12]). | |
| Christian Democratic Party of Honduras | Partido Democrata Cristiano de Honduras [PDCH] | "To achieve the effective participation of the Christian Democrat woman, an obligation is established parity basis applicable to Party leadership positions. This provision is also applicable for the selection of candidates for popularly elected positions at the levels of Proprietary and Alternate Deputies to the National Congress and the Central American Parliament, Mayors, Vice Mayors and Regidores. In the application of this provision, the alternation mechanism of women and men, in a 50% ratio for each, in the integration of the formulas and lists of candidates at all levels electives" (Article 165). | |
| Democratic Unification Party | Partido Unificación Democrática [PUD] | "For the integration of the lists to positions of party leadership, the internal movements will incorporate at least 50% of the candidacies of women." (Article 105). |
* Only political parties represented in parliament are included. When a country has legislated quotas in place, only political parties that have voluntary quotas that exceed the percentage/number of the national quota legislation are presented in this table.
Additional Information
A 30% 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% 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% for each gender.
Although the principle of parity established in the reform of the electoral law was in place for the 2017 election, the Tribunal Supremo Electoral regulation (2016-3) which provides the details of the mechanisms for implementing the principle of parity, actually hinders real alternation in the lists for candidates to Congress, contradicting the Election Law. The regulation establishes that alternation on the lists for the National Congress elections is only mandatory from the third, fourth or fifth position on the list onwards, depending on how many positions are to be elected (EU EOM 2017).
Sources
LEGAL SOURCES:
- Constitution of Honduras (rev.2013) (English version)
- Ley Electoral y de las Organizaciones Políticas, Decreto núm. 44-2004 [Law on elections and political organizations, Decree No. 44-2004];
-
Reglamento de Aplicacion del Principo de Paridad y del Mecanismo de Alternacia en la Participación Política De Mujeres y Hombres en los Procesos Electorales (2016-3) [Regulation on the Application of the Principle of Parity and the Mechanisms of Alternation in the Political Participation between Women and Men in Electoral Processes]
OTHER SOURCES:
- Tribunal Supremo Electoral, Fortaleciendo el Sistema Democrático Hondureño, Equidad de Género (Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Strengthening the Honduran Democratic System, Gender Equality] (Official website)
- EU EOM Honduras Final Report General Elections 2017
- Llanos, B (2019): “Surcando olas y contra-olas. Una mirada paritaria a los derechos políticos de las mujeres en América Latina”. Atenea, International IDEA, ONU Mujeres, UNDP.
Additional reading
- Freidenberg, F. 2019. Women’s Political Representation in Honduras: A Comparative Perspective on Party Resistance and Inclusive Reform Proposals. The Carter Center.
- Oxfam. 2008. Women's political participation in Honduras. Programme Insights: Advocacy and National Elections.
- IFES & NDI. 2013. La Participación Política de las Mujeres en Honduras. (Spanish)
- Gender Equality Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean: Honduras (Official Website)
- Honduras Parliament website, http://congresonacional.hn/