The article, ‘Honduras Strict Abortion Law: Women Judged No Matter the Verdict”, by Al Jazeera reporter, Anna-Cat Brigida, discusses the concern that an increasing number of women in Honduras are prosecuted for having abortions resulting in a lifetime of unfathomable trauma and criminalization. The article primarily focuses on a variety of individual women, who regardless of the circumstances, have been extorted for having abortions, also coined “death of a minor” (Brigida, 2019). As a young woman born and raised in a progressive country where abortion is a fundamental right, I can sympathize for those who are forbidden from making decisions concerning their own bodies. Undeniably, the article makes clear that many vulnerable and young women are physically and emotionally tortured due to the manipulation and stigma circulating around abortion. As Honduras women convey, one’s lifestyle is severely oppressed by laws discriminating against human rights such as freedom, liberty, and life.
Evidently, a domestic worker named Lucia was informed of her five-month pregnancy after she “slipped and fell, hitting her back on the ground, according to court documents” (Brigida, 2019). In many cases, women encountering charges for abortion are at risk of facing years behind bars. Living in a country where the government composes of undemocratic characteristics, unethical abortion laws only scratch the surface of a deeper misogynistic problem present in Honduras. Furthermore, individuals working in medical fields accused of executing abortion procedures may “land in prison for up to 10 years” (Brigida, 2019). It is obvious that women who find themselves in these situations are restricted from receiving the necessary resources, and are made to feel guilty and powerless by their communities. Even if a woman is found not guilty, she most likely may suffer the hardships of receiving detrimental attention from the media. In fact, Marcela Arias, a women’s rights activist emphasizes that media outlets accuse helpless women of bad parenting which further creates a toxic environment built on feelings of disgrace (Brigida, 2019). This information reveals that the deep psychological trauma that is embedded into a woman’s mind begins with the opinions formed by society. Nonetheless, women are influenced by the judgement and potential mistreatment by others which further prevents them from making their own decisions. We can see these effects in another victim known as Paula, who was so deeply and emotionally scarred that “she could no longer live in her community” (Brigida, 2019). It is saddening that in an age of progressiveness in women’s rights, individuals living in Latin America are unable to build a life for themselves due to the poisonous viewpoints of individuals in power.
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So, will the population of Honduras be revaluating their opinions on abortion anytime soon? According to Brigida, things in Honduras are slowly improving. Around “60 percent” of Honduras men and women were accepting of performing abortions in situations such as “rape, an unviable fetus, or danger to the mother’s life” (Brigida 2019). From a sociological standpoint, toxic masculinity plays a significant role in determining what women can do. In many Latin American countries, crimes such as rape, assault, and murder all contribute to the advantages and disadvantages that women possess in society. Additionally, the economic aspects of a country greatly contribute to the mixed opinions behind abortion laws. Maria de los Angeles, a twenty-year-old worker, sometimes “watches children beg for money” which influences her to approve the accessibility of abortions (Brigida, 2019). These factors are continuously ignored by individuals in government positions who are brainwashed or are strictly religious. Getting people to recognize the problems beyond the surface is something that organizations advocating for women in Honduras will have to figure out. Therefore, the psychological, social, and economic aspects of life in Honduras all tie in with the lack of democracy in the nation. Honduras needs to identify new ways to tackle this issue, such as “establishing judicial precedent through cases such as Paula’s” (Brigida, 2019). Organizations should work effectively on rewiring people’s standpoints by providing more education on abortion regardless of the religious aspects that overshadow abortion.
In summation, in an era that is more open minded than ever before, the propaganda and criminalization around abortion is truly astonishing. The issue of victimizing women who are considered guilty of having an abortion, as discussed by reporter Anna-Cat Brigida, is not something that can be resolved easily. The deeply rooted conservative opinions on abortion indicate that to this day, women will continue to advocate for their rights and may do so for a long period of time. Brigida makes it clear that women are purposefully put in life altering situations, and that government officials in Honduras need to value the collection of evidence to enforce rights within a nation. Women deserve to make their own decisions without having the justice system intervene without legitimate reasoning. Protecting women from being prosecuted for making decisions for themselves is not rocket science. No individual should have to choose between life or imprisonment when maintaining control of their own bodies.
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