Dominican Republic: Urgent need to build a culture of gender equality, say UN experts

SANTO DOMINGO – The Dominican Republic has made significant advances in the rights of women and girls but must step up efforts to build a culture of gender equality and freedom from violence, UN experts said today.

While the country has made progress in its normative and institutional architecture on gender equality, it continues to experience alarming levels of violence against women and girls, poverty and unequal socio-economic development, entrenched gender stereotypes in family, cultural, social, economic and public life, and legal gaps on sexual and reproductive health rights, the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, said in a statement, at the end of a 10-day visit to the country.

“Cultural norms reinforce discriminatory gender roles that limit opportunities for women and girls in all sectors,” the experts said. Women in the Dominican Republic have limited participation in political and public life, and in the labour force. Family and care responsibilities, as well as limited access to quality jobs, contribute to this gender disparity. High rates of child and adolescent unions, marriages and pregnancies also have a negative impact on the educational, economic and professional opportunities for girls and young women.

“The persistent situation of poverty and inequality in the Dominican Republic exacerbates the discrimination and exclusion that many women and girls experience,” the experts said. Girls and adolescents, migrant women and girls, victims and survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation, women deprived of liberty, women and girls with disabilities and LBTQI+ women face greater vulnerability.

Women and girls in the country face various forms of gender-based violence, including at work, in schools and in digital spaces. There are high rates of femicide and sexual assault. While the Working Group welcomes the establishment of a national system of safe houses, it emphasised that there is a long way to go to effectively address the root causes of violence. Crucial interventions would include the adoption of a comprehensive law recognising all forms of violence, effective prevention programmes, education on gender equality, and ensuring victims and survivors' access to existing services and justice.

“While we welcome the increased national dialogue on reproductive rights, we are deeply concerned that the Dominican Republic continues to have one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world,” the experts said. The state should guarantee a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy in accordance with international standards.

“This moment represents a critical opportunity for the newly elected authorities to close remaining gender gaps, accelerate substantive equality and reaffirm the human rights of women and girls.”

The Working Group will present its final report to the Human Rights Council in June 2025.