A/HRC/41/33/Add.1 experts commend the recruitment of women in construction and public work undertaken by the Gender Unit in the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Services. The experts encourage more initiatives to provide jobs for women and challenge stereotypes. More efforts are needed to address men’s discriminatory attitudes and behaviours and positively transform masculinity. Furthermore, different family forms should be legally recognized. 25. In addition to the entrenched patriarchal culture, family life and women’s reproductive health are highly conditioned by a conservative society, influenced by the Church. The experts learned from various interlocutors that both Catholic and evangelical churches have significant influence over political decision-making bodies and public opinion, including in the discussion of the decriminalization of abortion in three circumstances and lifting the prohibition on emergency contraception. These policies should be premised on human rights standards and not on any particular religious doctrine. The Working Group joins other international human rights expert mechanisms in reiterating that freedom of religion or belief should never be used to justify discrimination against women (see A/HRC/38/46). 26. The media also play a key role in perpetuating harmful gender stereotypes, reinforcing gender inequality. Television channels and advertising in general continue to reinforce sexist gender stereotypes, as was pointed to by many interlocutors. Sensational cases tend to receive excessive media coverage at the expense of positive portrayal of women, and women (including victims of violence) are often depicted in a disrespectful manner, which may further fuel violence against them. The media must take on their role in promoting gender equality. B. Political and public life 27. The Working Group welcomes the improvement in the number of women in public offices, such as the increase in the percentage of women in the police force (from 3 to 19 per cent) and judiciary (54 per cent of all judges are women), and was pleased to meet with women in high-level positions, including the Minister of Human Rights and the Director of the National Institute for Women. However, women, particularly those experiencing intersecting forms of discrimination, remain significantly underrepresented in all areas of political and public life. The low level of participation of women in public life is reflected at all decision-making levels: national, regional and community. 28. Women constitute 21.1 per cent of Congress, marking a decrease from the previous elections (25.7 per cent).9 Women constitute only 12 per cent of the Board of Directors of the National Congress (2 out of 17 members) and some of the Congress’s commissions have no women members (such as the Budget Commission). In 2017, women made up 21.7 per cent of ministers, 7.4 per cent of mayors and 30.7 per cent of city councillors. 10 To date, there has never been an indigenous or Afro-Honduran minister. In the Supreme Court, 5 of the 15 judges are women. 29. In political parties, the highest positions are generally held by men. In 2012, Decree No. 54-2012 raised the quota for the inclusion of women candidates to 40 per cent for positions of authority and within parties, as well as candidates to popularly elected positions. It established that the principle of parity (50 per cent women) would be applied beginning with the 2015 electoral period. Moreover, a parity pact signed by Honduran political parties indicates that ballots should alternate in displaying the names of women and men candidates. However, the experts regretted to learn that recently adopted regulations, which stipulated that the names had to alternate further down the list of candidates only, had actually contributed to decreased numbers of women in office. 30. The experts were also informed of additional barriers to the participation of women in political life, such as the fact that women candidates for office were often discouraged from putting themselves forward by communities and partners, and that they had become 9 10 See http://archive.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm. Gender Equality Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean, “Honduras: country profile”. 7