Press Releases

MADRE Stands in Solidarity with Honduras

Posted on: Thursday, October 11, 2012

Keywords: Honduras, Latin American and Caribbean, Women Human Rights Defenders

MADRE has signed on to the October 11 Day of Action statement from internal women's human rights defenders calling for an end to the repression and violence in Honduras. Go here for a complete list of those standing in solidarity.

We Stand in Solidarity with Honduras

To stop the repression and violence that has been directed against Women Human Rights Defenders and communities fighting for their rights.

Women Human Rights Defenders from around the world, joined by human rights and women’s rights organizations stand in solidarity with Women Human Rights Defenders in Honduras on this 11 October Day of Action. We demand an end to the violence against women and Women Human Rights Defenders.

We denounce the violence perpetrated against communities defending their territories and against Women Human Rights Defenders, journalists, young people, and others who are exercising the rights, as guaranteed by the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

We denounce the situation of violence against women and the femicides that are not reported nor investigated by authorities.

We join Women Human Rights Defenders in Honduras in denouncing the grave and systemic human rights violations occurring in Honduras. Since the coup d’etat in June 2009, a climate of total impunity has pervaded Honduras, making it one of the most dangerous places in the world to practice journalism or defend human rights.

Femicide increased by 257% between 2002 and 2010
Between 2010 and 2011, 7 Women Human Rights Defenders were assassinated and thousands had faced sexual assaults, beatings and arbitrary arrests at the hands of state security forces.
Emergency contraception has been prohibited and the ban on therapeutic abortion continues
Women from indigenous and rural communities have been brutally evicted along with their families
Indigenous Misquita women have been assassinated by affiliates of the Department of State

We express our support of communties fighting against the imposition of megaprojects and model cities, and denounce the forced evictions and stripping of property for the benefit of private transnational companies. We demand an end to the arbitrary exercise of power, the use of force, impunity, and the criminalization of Women Human Rights Defenders in Aguán and other regions of Honduras.

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