Inequality is the leading challenge to development in the Dominican Republic, according to the findings of the 2013 Human Development Report that focuses on the country’s southwestern regions. The UNDP says that despite high growth rates, fair redistribution is limited. It reports that the country fell 15 points in the global ranking that reflects per capita income and education. The DR is ranked 96th of 187 countries in human development, and has moved up two positions.
During the presentation of the report yesterday, Thursday 25 April, Valerie Julliand, the UNDP representative in the Dominican Republic focused on gender inequality. She said that despite the fact that women are better qualified, with more years of studies, the reality has not changed and women still make up 51% of the labor force, compared to 78.6% men in employment. Nonetheless, women overall earn 17% less in wages compared to men.
The DR is also affected by high maternal mortality and teenage pregnancy rates.
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