President Danilo Medina and First Lady Candida Montilla attended the launch of a new campaign against gender violence, “Man’s Promise” at the Presidential Palace yesterday, Thursday 1 November. The campaign was introduced by Minister for Women Alejandrina German.
Speaking during the event, Attorney General Francisco Dominguez Brito reported that in the past six years, 1,200 women have been murdered by their spouses or former spouses. He said that 80% of them had not filed complaints to the authorities. Dominguez Brito presented the statistics during the launch of the Declaration of Commitment of Institutions and Organizations for the Prevention of Gender Violence. In 2011, 233 women were murdered.
Dominguez Brito said that prevention is the best way to ensure that these murders do not occur and said that the initiative consists of programs that promote education, respect and love of life from within the family.
“The situation should never arise were a woman should make complaints to the authorities without there being an arrest,” said Dominguez Brito, calling for more action by the authorities, as reported in Diario Libre.
In the Dominican Republic 14 institutions work to reduce gender violence.
The presentation of the campaign coincides with the VII Dominican Conference on Gender Studies on Autonomy of Women, coordinated by INTEC University’s Center for Gender Studies. During the conference opening speeches, Minister of Women Alejandrina German urged legislators to pass a Penal Code that will not embarrass women. Guest speaker Mabelle Figueroa, former director of public policies at the Ministry of Equality in Costa Rica said that women are still facing inequality gaps that are explained by the weight of customs, ideas and subordination systems, showing that the progress that has been achieved is not enough. She said that while women are better educated, they have to accept lower paid jobs compared to men.