Bearing the Brunt of Honduras’ Dysfunction

This is from another website; thank you for letting me share it. See http://hondurasweekly.com/editorial/3231-women for the original.

Bearing the Brunt of Honduras' Dysfunction

Tuesday, 04 January 2011 00:00

A society that fails to value and aggressively protect the segment of the population largely responsible for raising offspring into healthy, secure and productive citizens simultaneously welcomes in dysfunction, fear and violence.

By Trish Flanagan
Women in Honduras often bear the brunt of society's dysfunction. The traditional and often undisputed role of women in Honduras is to raise the family and tend to domestic affairs. They provide the womb which creates the society, yet often times they are discouraged from earning an education, achieving self-worth and autonomy, and protecting themselves from pregnancy during adolescence. Mothers are the nucleus of society and in order to reduce violence and advance the development of Honduras, Honduran women must have access to equitable civil rights and opportunities.

In male-dominated societies such as Honduras, the disenfranchisement of women and mothers leads to violence and oppression. According to the National Commission on Human Rights in Honduras (Conadeh), 198 female Honduran victims of domestic violence were killed in 2007. Ninety-eight percent of these killings remained unsolved, reflecting the deeply-ingrained societal disregard for women- the individuals who are typically responsible for child rearing and maintenance of the family unit. This statistic is all the more disturbing when superimposed against another sobering statistic...

In 2008, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) reported 4,473 murders occurring in Honduras, qualifying the country as having one of the world's highest per capita murder rates. It is hard not to draw a correlation between the two facts. A society that fails to value and aggressively protect the segment of the population largely responsible for raising offspring into healthy, secure and productive citizens simultaneously welcomes in dysfunction, fear and violence. In light of this fact, it is appalling, yet logical, that according to a Honduran national newspaper La Prensa, half of women pregnant in Honduras, in a 2010 national survey, were teenagers unprepared for adulthood, let alone motherhood.

In order for Honduras to turn the tide of the social ills that threaten the safety and livelihood of 'El Pueblo', the society must protect the rights and autonomy of women and, subsequently, their children, the future of Honduras.

During a series of interviews that I conducted with various women residing on Roatán Island for at least 10 years, it is clear to me that many women have insights that greater illustrate the significance of the statistical evidence. According to all the participants interviewed, the role of women in Honduras is to raise children and care for the home and family. (All names have been changed to protect the anonymity of those interviewed.)

Christina, a healthcare provider raised in Olanchito on the mainland and living on Roatán for 16 years, believes that this primary role of caretaker is a woman's greatest advantage. Women have the benefit of giving and getting love from their families as well as watching their children develop. But she believes that the greatest disadvantage is that women are not valued by men or society.

Because of a lesser societal value, many Honduran women are lacking control over their personal decisions and autonomy which can harbor domestic dysfunction. Most women interviewed believed that a woman's influence in Honduran society is primarily over domestic matters involving children.

Terri, a Honduran resident and healthcare provider living in Honduras for 10 years, points out that because of this limited view of women, Honduran culture considers it necessary for girls as young as age 14 to begin the mating and reproductive process. The prevalence of adolescent girls taking on the responsibility of motherhood and marriage without reaching adulthood presents great obstacles for the development of a modern society. Moreover, this situation threatens the safety and development of the female.

Although domestic violence is a significant problem in Honduras, most of the women interviewed described their personal observations with this issue with a mix of trepidation and sadly, almost an acceptance of its presence in their lives. As most of the women became more comfortable during the interviews, they demonstrated incredible passion and outrage in their analysis of domestic violence.

Lana, a 21 year-old student raised on Roatán, insists that domestic violence looms in 100% of the households in her neighborhood and that better communication between spouses could reduce this. Christina asserts that in her personal experience with men, machismo- an exaggerated sense of masculinity emphasizing characteristics such as virility, domination of women, and aggressiveness- fosters gender inequality and violence. Furthermore, Terri recognizes this prevalence of violence and aggression in the home as a result of a faltering self-esteem not only of the woman but of the man as well. She explains that a man's abusive tendencies stems from his lack of support from a culture dominated by machismo.

Most interviewees, however, were prescient in their belief that a positive change is on the horizon. Alice, a tour guide, was born on the mainland, and has lived on Roatán for over 40 years. She insists that while men are dominant in Honduran society, women have an advantage by characteristically having more energy and being able to take on more responsibility. Alice emphasizes because, "[Women's] brains are bigger than [men's] brains," and that as more teen girls continue with school and refrain from early pregnancy, women are becoming more upwardly mobile in Honduras.

Likewise, Christina states that women are empowered through education. As evidence of this, she insists that unlike 10 years ago when boys dominated secondary education, today's high school (colegio) class of 30 students will typically contain 20 girls.

Women in Honduras have a voice and many are using it. Following her interview, Alice shared her experience with fellow female tour guides and has indicated that more of her female friends hope to become a part of the project and tell their story. She looks forward to being involved with the creation of a book composed of the perspective of Honduran women. Christina plans to move back to her hometown and create a health education program for girls in 6th, 7th and 8th grade. Terri plans on introducing prenatal mothering classes into more communities on Roatán and states that she is grateful to have the opportunity to contemplate the development of women in Honduras.

It is in the interest of the advancement of the Honduran nation to listen to women and consider their perspectives. Most importantly, mothers are the nucleus of society and in order to reduce violence and advance the development of Honduras, Honduran women and mothers must have access to equitable civil rights and opportunities. (1/4/11) (photo courtesy Internet)

Note: The author is formerly a teacher at the Sandy Bay Alternative School on Roatán and worked as a disc jockey at Roatán Radio.