At a time when the government has spearheaded efforts to merge ministries, the congresswoman representing the ruling political party has submitted a bill that would create the Ministry of Men. Why not, there is already a Ministry of Women?
The proposal to increase government bureaucracy comes at a time when President Luis Abinader has fostered the merge of the Ministry of Economy with the Ministry of Hacienda, and that of the Ministry of Superior Education with the Ministry of Education for a reduction of costs in government.
El Nacional reports that the proposal presented by Altagracia de los Santos (PRM-Santo Domingo province) seeks to concentrate efforts to champion the “transformation” of men through guidance, training, and support, with a key objective being to curb abuse and femicides against women.
“We work with men here, but only after they commit a homicide, after they kill a woman,” De los Santos said, emphasizing the preventive approach the new ministry would have in Dominican society. “I believe we have to work on prevention with men to reduce femicide in the Dominican Republic and to have a healthy family,” El Nacional quotes her saying.
She highlighted the existence of ministries for women and youth but noted the absence of a state entity comprehensively addressing men’s specific needs and challenges. De los Santos argues for the initiative as a way to foster gender equality, prevent violence, and promote emotional and psychological development in men.
El Nacional reports the proposal for a new ministry isn’t an isolated push. On 7 May 7, Luis Castillo Ogando, a PRM deputy representing Elías Piña province, introduced a bill to create a Ministry of the Border, aiming to establish regulations for the order and development of the Dominican border region.
Earlier, Deputy Ramón Ceballos also submitted a bill to establish a Ministry for Dominicans Abroad. This proposed ministry would be responsible for implementing and coordinating policies for the Dominican community living outside the country, aligning with the President’s directives.
Public jobs under the Abinader administration have been significantly on the rise, with thousands of jobs created since 2020. Economists criticize the expansion of the Dominican government comes at a high cost to the funds available for public capital investment that is on an all-time low for government.
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El Nacional
Noticias SIN
28 May 2025