Honduras: MDGs and Gender issues in the local and national context

Honduras: MDGs and Gender issues in the local and national context

GOAL 3 PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER WOMEN TARGET 4. Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and at all levels of education no later than 2015.

HONDURAN CONTEXT Gender equality and equity in access to education is not an issue. Equal participation of men and women in the social and political arenas, is still an issue.

EDUCATION enrolment literacy

106 104 102 100 10 1 102 10 1 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 Da tos de la serie Meta d el mi len io Pr o ye cci ón 100 Female-male ratio in primary education (number of girls per 100 boys). 106 104 102 102 100 101 101 100 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 Series data MDG s Projection Source: DGEC: EPHPM 1990-1999. INE: EPHPM 2001.

Female-male ratio in secondary education (number of girls per each 100 boys). 140 130 131 132 133 120 110 100 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 100 Series of data MDGs Projection Source: DGEC: EPHPM 1990-1999. INE: EPHPM 2001.

Adult literacy rate Adult literacy rate (% age 15 and above 2001) Country Female Male Guatemala 61.8 76.6 El Salvador 76.6 81.9 Honduras 75.7 75.4 Nicaragua 67.1 66.5 Costa Rica 95.8 95.6 Source: UNDP: HDR, 2003.

Male-female literacy rate in the ratio of literate Higher female than male literacy rate Ratio of literate females to males ( 15 to 24 years)* Country 1990 2001 Guatemala 0.82 0.85 El Salvador 0.97 0.98 Honduras 1.03 1.04 Nicaragua 1.01 1.02 Costa Rica 1.01 1.01 Data refer to the 1998/99 school year. * Calculated on the basis of female and male leteracy rates. Source: HDR, 2003.

CHALLENGES/PRIORITIES IN EDUCATION Incorpotation of the gender considerations in the educational curriculum. Promotion of non traditional educational options for women and men.

SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION GDI GEM

Gender-related Development Index (GDI) The Gender-Related Development Index measures female human Development compared to men, using the same indicators used to measure HDI. This means that a value close to 0 indicates large inequality between men and women. Honduras attained 0.628 in 2002. Where the general HDI was 0.638. 0.800 0.773 0.770 0.700 0.600 0.628 0.544 0.500 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 Series of data MDGs Projection Source: DGEC: EPHPM 1990-1999. INE: EPHPM 2001.

Gender empowerment measure (GEM) In Honduras the GEM has been measured since 1995 when the value registered was 0.406. In 2002 the GEM had decreased to 0.405. Actually, 5.5% of the seats in parlament are held by women. Historically, Honduran women have never reached more than 10.1% of representation in the Legislative Assambly. The situation of female participation in municipal governments is low too. By 2002 an 8.1% of the mayors, 4.7% of the vice-mayors and a 14.6% of the local government representative were women.

Parlamentary positions: women promotion (Congress women, mayors and local government representative) In 2001 the administrative and executive positions, 54.4% was occupied by woman and from the total of professionals and technitians a 56.6% were woman (UNDP 2002 b: 207). There are 15 Supreme Court Judges, of which 9 (60%) are woman. The president of the Judiciary is a woman. In the National Congress there are 128 congressmen, of which 9 are women.

Gender empowerment measure 0.480 0.460 0.440 0.420 0.406 0.400 0.405 0.380 1 994 1 995 1 996 1 997 1 998 1 999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Data of the series Tendency of data Source: UNDP 1997, 1995, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000. UNDP 2002 a, UNDP 2002b.

CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES Strengthen existing institutions technically and finacially, and consider the creation of new policy instruments and institutions guaranteing the regulation and protection of women s rights. Include in the educational policies a gender mechanisms that allow the same opportunities to participate in society for girls and boys. Generate conditions that equalize the participation of men and women in the economic, social and politic sphere. Carry out studies and investigations on female participation in different sectors.

The experience of applying the Millennium Development Goals to the local context

BACKGROUND On January 20 th 2003, UNDP and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed an agreement on conducting a project to promote the Millennium Development Goals and Targets in a local context in Honduras. The general purpose of the project Support for the Promotion of the Millennium Development Goals was to spread awareness of the goals and targets formulated in the Millennium Declaration among the citizens and the different development actors, with the specific purpose that the MDGs would be used as an instrument in the definition of public policies at the local, regional, and also national level.

METHODOLOGY Selection of departaments Four departaments with diferent development characteristics were selected based on the level of the Human Development Index. The municipalities where the workshops were carried out were selected by the facilitators according to strategic location of the municipality in order to assure a greater and more wide-spread participation.

Participation Representative participation of local society; local governments, the churches, the NGO, water asociations, health sector, PTAs, etc. On average 80 persons participated per workshop. In total more than 1,300 persons, and aproximately 28% of them were women.

Municipalities included in the project Municipalities in which workshops to promote the MDGs were held Municipalities participating in the workshops to promote the MDGs

Group work One of the purpuses of the local workshops was to facilitate a discussion on the local development, analized through a MDG perspective. To identify the local development problems and priorities as well as possible solutions and specific actions. The participants were divided into groups to work on different thematic issues. The group work was carried out in seven groups on the following themes: Poverty and hunger Education Gender Health (illnesses) Maternal and child health Environment Housing

Guidelines for the work in groups PROBLEMS Which are the three main problems related to gender equality and equity in your municipalities? ADVANTAGES Which are the main strengths or advantages tht exist in these Municipalities for improving the gender euality and equity? SOLUTIONS Considering the problems and advantages mentioned before, which are the possible solutions? CONCRETE ACTIONS Which are the priority actions that must be taken in order to solve the gender-related problems of your municipalities? ACTORS RESPONSIBLE Who is responsible for the accomplishments?

Example of the Gender-related defined problems by the local actors: La Unión, Copán Problems Machismo Macho society Lack of employments apropriate for both genders Lack of comunication Solutions Trainings the gender equity Conduct on workshops in which both genders paticipate. Delegate functions to the members family. PTA s Actions Apply the gender equity law Create a factory in the South of Copán. Schools run by the parents Advantages Actors responsble Schools (most of the teachers are women - Government Churches - Community - Teachers - Parents

Example of the Gender-related defined problems by the local actors: La Entrada, Copán Problems Lack of education Extreme poverty Duality of function Solutions Hold workshops on gender equity to married couples to teach them their roll in family and society. Technical capacitation and comunal organization for the creation of micro- enterprices with the implementation of rural cooperatives, to ensure recours increase. Delegate functions equally to all the family members. Actions Join forces by assuring institutional integration and in that way enhace the administrative, technical and financial capacities. Increase the motivation and organizational capacity in order to improve the general managment. Training programs on the roll each family member at home. Advantages Actors responsble A society with more equity equitable Government and fairness. Local government The presence of international development National and International Organizations cooperation agencies. Family Churches NGO

General problems identified in the local context* The cultural pattern that prevails is male-centered. Machismo. In the political sphere, women represent 30% of the participation and men 70%. The law on female access to elected seats in local and national government is not being properly applied. Lack of political will to the empower women. Social and political exclusion and conformism. Physical and psychological abuse of women. * Workshop participant s proposals

Possible solutions identified* Educational programs, information and training on gender issues. Application of the law against violence on women. Training on self-esteem issues. Application of the law of equal opportunities for all. Equal opportunities for studying and working. Diffuse and application of all the laws in favor on women and gender equity. * Workshop participant s proposals

Concrete actions* Formulate an inventory of women interested in running for politics offices in popular elections. Educational programs to parents. Involvement of teachers, religious and social leaders, on gender issues. Demand internal gender equality in all organizations. Denounce to the authorities when laws on gender related issues are violated. * Workshop participant s proposals

Actors responsable* 1. Government 2. Departamental and local organizations authorities 3. International Development Cooperation Aid agencies 4. Civil society organizations 5. Human Rights 6. Churches and religious organizations 7. Every member of the community * Workshop participant s proposals

CONCLUSIONS GENDER ISSUES IN THE LOCAL CONTEXT Participants regard gender as integral issue, very much related to other MDG goals such as poverty reduction, hunger, education, health and housing issues.

FOLLOW-UP AND MONITORING

Minimum agreements related to gender issues Defined by the workshop participants Make sure that there is gender equity by using and spread awareness of the MDGs. Achieve a multiplying effect by making all the local actors that interact in each municipality participate in the gender-related work. Elaborate proposals for the creation of women s center. Monitor the PRSP and ensure its gender focus. Socialize in the communities the importance of gender equality and ensure an overral commitment to respect gender equity. Demand that educational institutions, NGOs and the government make progress on gender issues. To maintain our self-esteem high, especially the women. Involve everyone and share the responsability of working for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Achieve a greater general female participation.

MDG Follow-up Commission, Lempira Purpose: to strategically work towards the achievement of the MDGs by including specific development targets base on the MDG s. Share the needs that exist in each municipality regarding the progress toward MDGs achievement. On March 19th 2003, a Millenium Goals workshop was held in Tambla, Lempira. The local problems for the fulfillment of the targets set by the MDG were discussed in work groups. Among the agreements established in the workshop: - Socialize, in the communities, the issue of equality, and commit people to respect gender equity. - Request educational institutions, NGO s and the government train people on gender equity. - Develop and improve the administrative capacity to be able to reach agreements with cooperation agencies.

Responsabilities and commitments of different actors International workshop on working with MDGs in a local context Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras. August 11th and 12th 2003. Government Incorporate the MDG s in the strategic municipal development plans. Socialize the MDG s through public community meetings. Create spaces for reflection and discussion of the MDG s. UNDP Incorporate the MDG s in development projects. Support in the construction of MDG indicators at the local level. Support government in harmonizing the MDG with the PRSP. International development cooperation Incorporate the MDG s to the development projects. Support the construction of MDG indicators at the local level.

Other MDG-related activities by UNDP Honduras Lauching of the first national MDG Report (December 4th) Lauching of the JICA/UNDP publication The Application of the Millennium Develpment Goals Nationwide. Participating in multidisciplinary effort headed by the National Institute of Statistics in order to create and define indicators for the monitor of the MDG achievement progress. In cooperation with the government elaborate a strategy on how to hormanize the national PRSP with the MDGs. Elaboration of strategy on how to include th MDG perspective in all UNDP programs and projects. JICA/PNUD workshop in Washington D.C. March 2004.

Honduras: MDGs and Gender issues in the local and national context THANK YOU!