During his visit to Higuey for the celebration of the Day of Our Lady of Holy Grace (Virgen de la Altagracia) on Monday, 21 January, President Danilo Medina said that gender violence is a phenomenon of the times that the Dominican Republic must overcome. He announced that the government would soon be releasing a plan aimed at reducing this violence.
Interviewed by reporters from Diario Libre and other news media as he left the new La Altagracia Basilica Museum, the President spoke of how this plan would help tackle domestic violence.
“I have a program for working against poverty and reducing the social inequalities that exist in the country, because this would help to create a climate of peace and social cohesion. Because of this, I am working in that direction,” he stated.
He said that his administration is working hard to build a more homogenous society. “That is why we are working in all these places in the Dominican Republic, trying to improve the living conditions of our people who live in poverty and marginalization in order to give some meaning to their lives,” he told reporters. Medina said that the people are tired of all their personal problems, as their homes break up and many children do not have a male figure to guide them in their lives. He also mentioned the problem of university students who graduate but are forced to walk the streets due to a lack of jobs.