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5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
In this chapter, the researcher suggests some public policies that she believes should be taken in consideration in order to approach faster the economic development path. Yet in a humble way and acknowledging that because of ignorance on the different law approaches of all the LAC countries these recommendations are emphasized to be employed in the Central American country:
Honduras. Yet, the following suggestions can be studied by other countries that find a need of them and do a research to discover the correct and effective way to apply them I their country.
Sexual Education
First, the researcher would like to approach the problem of sexual education in Honduras.
Honduras has been signatory of international treaties in health, and its Constitution acknowledges in its article 145 that Health is as right. The Constitution also claims in its article 151 that education is an essential function of the state for the conservation, promotion and dissemination of culture.
Which shall project its benefits to society without any discrimination whatsoever. National education will be secular and will fundament itself in the essential principles of democracy, it will inculcate and promote profound feelings in Honduran students and should be directly linked to the process of economic and social development of the country.
We can find the following legal framework in sexual and reproductive health in Honduras:
• Estrategia Nacional de Acercaminento de la Reduccion Acelerada de la Mortalidad Materna y de la Niñez (RAMNI ) translated to the English language by the Researcher as the national strategy for approaching the accelerated reduction of maternal and childhood mortality.
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• Estretegia Nacional Para la Prevencion del Embarazo en Adolescentes de Honduras (ENAPREAH), translated to the English language by the Researcher as the National Strategy for the Prevention of Pregnancy in Adolescents of Honduras.
• Plan Multisectorial de Prevension del Embarazo Adolescentes (PMPEA), translated to the English language by the Researcher as the Multisectoral Plan for the Prevention of Teenage Pregnancy.
Between the legal instruments that raise sexual and reproductive rights topics we can include:
• “La Politica Nacional de Juventud” translated to the English language by the Researcher as The National Youth Policy.
• “La Ley Especial de VIH/SIDA” translated to the English language by the Researcher as the special HIV/AIDS law.
• “La Ley de Igualdad de Oportunidades para la Mujer y el Segundo Plan de Igualdad y Equidad de Genero II PIEG” translated to the English language by the Researcher as the Equal Opportunities for Women Act and the Second Gender Equality and Equity Plan.
In 2004, a National Curricular Design for Basic Education that contemplates the content that should be taught and the methodology to teach it throughout the educational cycle from first to ninth grade was implemented in order to promote the transformation of national education. But sexual education was not implemented in this new curricular design. The report on education for sexuality in Honduras for the Special Rapporteur on education states that two cooperation efforts have been made between the technical bodies of the Ministry of Education and cooperation agencies in order to contribute with the incorporation of sexual education in public education.
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The first effort strove for the implementation of sexual education guides for teachers of high school education, in compliance with the mandate of the Special Law on HIV, which were distributed in 2003. However, due to pressure from fundamentalist religious groups, the then minister of education circulated a note prohibiting its use. The note stated that the guides that were to be elaborated by the Honduran Breastfeeding Association named “Hablando con los jovenes sobre sexualidad” translated to the English language by the researcher as “Speaking with the youth about sexuality” did not reflect in any the criteria of the then present administration to address such an important issue. Hence, banning the distribution of the guides.
A second effort began in 2005 and on this occasion sexual education guides were developed for teachers, to be incorporated throughout the whole cycle of basic and pre-basic education, transversally in 5 educational subjects: social sciences, natural sciences, Spanish, Mathematics and physical education. The guides were prepared and validated by teaching staff and were to be implemented through a pilot project in 70 municipalities of the country. In 2006, from the National Congress, the president of the Pro Life Committee and deputy of the same, motions against the sexual education guides and proposed to create a council for sexuality education.
A process of debate and negotiation was then initiated, where teachers, parents, executive authorities and organizations defending the rights of women and children were incorporated. These guides were reviewed and their implementation was to start in July 2009, a fact that was not possible due to the coup d'etat in that year. To date, there is no updated sexual and reproductive health national policy. Leaving the Honduran state vulnerable to the effects of a non-addressed sexual education.
The report on education for sexuality in Honduras for the Special Rapporteur on Education authored by the “Centro de Derechos de Mujeres y CLADEM –Honduras” previously mentioned
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declares the religious fundamentalist groups actors that have a considerable presence in the state, as well like influence in the church as the main obstacle in the country towards the implementation of sexual education in Honduras.
Speizer, Ilene S., Whittle, Lisa, and Carter, Marion (2005), collected data in Honduras in 2001 from men aged 15 to 59 and women aged 15 to 49. They got these data from two national surveys, Speizer, Whittle and Carter used bivariate and multivariate analyses to identify factors between male-centered decision-making attitudes, family planning and family size. The authors previously mentioned show results were 25% of women and 28% of men said that only men should be responsible for making decisions about either family planning or family size. On the other hand, 27% of women and 21% of men showed that the man in their household made one or both decisions regarding family planning and family size.
Therefore, the study previously mentioned showed that if women decided to have no children meanwhile being in a consensual relationship they seemed to have “male-centered decision-making attitudes”. For men, a “male-centered decision-decision-making attitudes” consisted in having less than secondary education and being in a consensual relationship. The profile of these women were those of: Being of medium or low socioeconomic status, having less than secondary education, and living in a rural area.
Most importantly, the results from Speizer, Whittle and Carter show that the women who used or were currently using modern family planning methods in contrast to those who used traditional family planning methods, or those who never used any, were significantly less likely to have
“male-centered decision-making attitudes”. To conclude, Speizer, Whittle and Carter state that programs should note “power imbalances” or inequalities between the genders, which affect
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women’s decisions over their own fertility desires. Therefore, the programs should target men in rural areas, with an aim to educate them in communicating with their partners on family size.
A report from Singh Susheela, Darroch Jacqueline and Ashford Lori S. 2014., provides us a long list of gains from implementing sexual and reproductive health. Between the most important gains we can find that prevention of death or disability due to complications of pregnancy or/and childbirth, unsafe abortion, cervival cancer, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV. The report treats sexual and reproductive health as an investment in society as it will also bring social and economic benefits. The report states Africa as an example, showing that by the prevention of maternal deaths or disabilities these mothers families are protected from great health expenses and of course loss of income.
The report also mentions that by helping woman not having unwanted pregnancies, the State will save money in education, infrastructure and social services area. The prevention of unwanted pregnancies hence, will help on the reduction of poverty. How? By making families more productive and giving them financial stability. The report concludes that investment in sexual and reproductive health must remain in governments policy agenda.
Kirby, D., Obasi, A., and Laris, B. (2006), reviewed the effect of sexual and HIV education in schools in developing countries. The authors Kirby, Obasi, and Laris conducted a systematic review, and measured the impact of the intervention of sexual risk behavior. In their study, 22 interventions could be observed. These 22 interventions improved 21 out 55 sexual behaviors and only one which was non-curriculum based peer-led intervention increased sexual intercourse. It was reported that 7 interventions reduced “the reported onset of sex”, 3 interventions reduced the number of sexual partners and 1 reduced the frequency of sexual activity. 16 out of the 22
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interventions delayed sex, reduced sex frequency, decreased number of sexual partners, increased the use of contraceptive methods and condoms or reduced unprotected sex practice.
From 17 curriculum-based interventions, 13 were taught by adults, and 11 of these 13 improved at least one sexual behavior. The 2 remaining showed no significant improvement in sexual behavior. The interventions the were led wether by teachers or adults had a positive impact on reported behavior. On the other hand, from the 5 non-curriculum based interventions, 2 from the 4 adult-led and a 1 peer-led intervention also improved at least 1 sexual behavior. In conclusion curriculum-based interventions should be implemented. Yet, further evaluation of the countries where they are to be implemented must be done in order to correctly assess its implementation and curriculum insertion.
Because of the importance of this subject the researcher urges the Honduran state to implement sexual education. Based on the tables that show the mothers studies we can see that the biggest number of girls that that became mothers in 2015, only had complete elementary education. This outcome should support the recommendation of implementing sexual education since sixth grade.
Ahituv, A. (2001), also emphasizes the importance of designing policies to push economies from under development by the inclusion but never exclusion of family planning. The implementation of sexual education on this stage could help delay and hopefully diminish undesired pregnancies and most importantly educate children about sexually transmitted diseases.
The Researcher intends to portray that behind both birth rate and income inequality is education as a factor that will influence the effects of birth rate and income inequality as a variable.
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100% electric coverage in the Honduran territory.
Explaining why access to electricity is important would be senseless by now… A total electricity coverage permits the functionality of hospitals, clinics, health facilities in general and the electrification of rural areas schools, not to mention satisfying basic needs in homes, such as the simple boiling of water which helps with sanitation, especially when no access to purified water is available. Therefore, we do know it’s important for economic development,
If Honduras wants to reach the goal stated in its “Plan de Gobierno y Vision de Pais” translated to the English language as “Government Plan and Country Vision” by the Researcher, which states that Honduras should reach a 100% of electric coverage by 2,032, then action is needed. Based on the report mentioned before, from the National Electric Power Company in Honduras from March 2017, which states that for December 2,016 the national electricity coverage index for the Honduran territory is of 75%, it is important to work to be able to cover the 25% of the territory still missing.
As the same reportfrom the National Electric Power Company in Honduras from March 2017 stated, a total of USD $1,466,100,651.95 should be invested in order to reach a 100%. Therefore, a focus on getting donations and loans to successfully achieve this important public service generator of development is vital.
This year, on March 1, 2018, the World Bank through the “International Development Association (IDA)” approved a $375 million credit to Ethiopia. This credit is intended to be used to provide access to electricity to all Ethiopians by the year 2,025 which is 7 years from now. The “Ethiopia Electrification Program” supports the “National Electrification Program” previously launched back in 2,017 with help from the World Bank which needs an estimated investment of $1.5 billion
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over the first five years. Clearly Ethiopia’s investment is larger than the one needed by our case study country: Honduras by $ 33,889,348.05. Honduras, being eligible as a borrower country for IDA, should consider application for this credit in order to take action towards the achievement of a national territory with a 100% electricity coverage.
Making sure that people have access to the most basic needs is the way to start making the gap in inequality smaller. Honduras being a developing country needs to cover its basic needs in order to achieve further development.
Division between State and Religion
Honduran Lawyer Leonidas Rosa Suazo (2010), stated that he does not consider the legal and political system to have a marked influence on religions. The distinguished Lawyer in the Researchers perspective correctly continued arguing that the issue in Honduras is “the awareness of the people regarding their religious environment. The Catholic tradition is particularly strong and still consists of a majority of the population. On the other hand, the evangelical churches have grown strong, especially during the last two decades. In this sense, it is very common to presume that all citizens are Catholics or, at least, Christians.” Rosa Suazo, sets an important example explaining that sometimes the government allows prayers or blessing in its activities. Therefore, there is no awareness that it is necessary to respect people who are of other religions (or non-religious people) in such acts.
Eight years later after the previous was discussed in the XVII Symposium on Law and Religion at the International Center for Law and Religion Studies in the city of Provo, State of Utah, United States of America, Honduras goes through a much marked example. The National Congress of
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Honduras approved on Thursday, May 10, 2018 a motion presented by the congressman Tomás Zambrano. The motion declared that all educational centers of Honduras should study the bible.
The congressman stated:
“Quiero hacer una exhortativa para que de manera coordinada entre diversas instituciones estatales y religiosas se pueda implementar un programa que promueva en forma no obligatoria la lectura diaria de la Biblia a los niños y jóvenes, jornadas de oración, consejería para padres y
alumnos, como un mecanismo de salvación de sus almas y prevención de la violencia”
Translated to the English language by the Researcher as the following: “I want to make an exhortation so that in a coordinated way between various state and religious institutions a program that promotes in a non-obligatory way the daily reading of the Bible to children and youth, Prayer day, counseling for parents and students, as a mechanism of salvation of their souls and prevention of violence." The congressman explained that the “prayer day” should be done twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon. The implementation of these motion would be done by creating a working group composed of Evangelical and Catholic representatives, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Education and a legislative commission.
The Constitution of Honduras in its article 152 states that education is an essential function of the State for the conservation, promotion and dissemination of culture, which should project its benefits to society without discrimination of any kind. National education will be secular and will be based on the essential principles of democracy, it will inculcate and foment in the students profound Honduran sentiments and should be directly linked to the process of economic and social development of the country.
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These constitutional article is directly violated with the previously mentioned motion. Article 152 states that National education will be secular, therefore non-complementary in any way with the approved motion. The congressman explained that constitutional reforms, a law or special decrees would be implemented in order to make this motion legal.
Another aspect to point out, is that article 152 is completely associated with the first recommendation made in this chapter concerning the implementation of sexual education. Based on the last sentence of the article where it states that education should be directly linked to the process of economic and social development of the country, it is unreasonable to leave sexual education behind due to the opposition of religious groups because of their beliefs and taboos.
If Honduras education is really to be engaged to help in the process of economic and social development, basic education like sexual education should be implemented and taught in every educational institution to expect the benefits already explained in the first recommendation.
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