The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Dominican government presented the #NoEsUnJuego campaign to prevent early and illegal marital unions in the Dominican Republic on 16 June 2021..
The #NoEsUnJuego campaign seeks to raise awareness among children, adolescents, fathers, mothers, teachers and others that child and teenage unions are a form of violence that affects one in five Dominican girls.
First Lady Raquel Arbaje, US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Robert W. Thomas and USAID director Rebecca Latorraca were present for the event. For the Dominican government, also attending were Youth Minister Luz del Alba Jimenez; Paula Disla, president of the Children and Adolescents Council (Conani), and Gloria Reyes, director of Pro Solidarity, the government welfare agency.
“For the US government, ensuring that Dominican youth have access to quality health care, education and greater opportunities is a priority. We know that education and the well-being of children are human rights and the foundation for a healthy and productive society. For this reason, we are pleased to partner with the Dominican government in this campaign,” said Thomas.
The campaign #NoEsUnJuego will be carried out through social media. It is coordinated by Entrena S.R.L. and Plan International, together with the Abinader administration Cabinet of Children and Adolescents, Conani, Prosoli, the Ministry of Youth and the NGOs Fundación Sur Futuro, Instituto Dominicano de Desarrollo Integral (IDDI), DREAM Project and the Universidad Católica Nordestana (UCNE).
As reported in N Digital, the Dominican Republic outlawed child marriage with Law 1-21 passed in January 2021. According to the Enhogar 2018 Survey, one in five adolescents (15.6%) between 15 and 19 years old is or has been married or in union and of this group the majority did so before the age of 18 (86.5%) and, one in four did so before the age of 15 (24.1%).
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N Digital
17 June 2021