Honduras: can first female president usher in a new era for women?

Xiomara Castro's inauguration will cap a remarkable rise but she faces daunting challenges around femicide and abortion

Xiomara Castro will be sworn in as the first female president of Honduras on Thursday, marking the culmination of a remarkable rise to power that began just over 12 years ago when she led a massive protest movement in response to the ousting of her husband, former president Manuel Mel" Zelaya, in a military-backed coup.

Castro's resounding victory in the 28 November election has generated hope for a new era for women in the country with the highest rate of femicide in Latin America and some of the region's most draconian laws with regards to reproductive rights.