National Pact to Eradicate Gender Violence to be Signed

National Pact to Eradicate Gender Violence to be Signed
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 2/12/2012

This document, to be signed next Wednesday, seeks to unite efforts on a national level to take decisive actions that will contribute to the elimination of the gender violence that is affecting Dominican families.

The document also proposes the development of educational programs directed at families; these will be awareness-raising programs on issues such as gender equality and the new masculinity as well as how to establish policies that promote sustainable and continuous gender equality.

First Lady, Margarita Cedeño de Fernández, called on different sectors of Dominican society to join together and sign the National Pact for the Eradication of Gender Violence and to be part of the effort to rid Dominican society of this violence.

The document will be signed by representatives of the judicial sector (judges and prosecutors), the police, NGOs, churches, politicians, unions, businesspeople, the media and public functionaries, among others, who will commit to carry out a series of actions that will lead to the elimination of gender violence in the Dominican Republic.

The signing of the pact will take place on Wednesday at 11:00 am in the National Palace. Some of the commitments assumed in the pact include the strengthening of legal and political actions to be carried out by people in judicial roles who have been trained in this area. Another commitment is to improve, from a legal standpoint, the prevention of gender violence and to heighten the level of attention currently paid to it.

The document also proposes the development of educational programs directed at families; these will be awareness-raising programs on issues such as gender equality and the new masculinity as well as how to establish policies that promote sustainable and continuous gender equality.

By the same token, the document seeks, through the media, to promote a positive image of women as well as educating the population about gender violence through information, education and communication.