The Dominican Government Declares its Commitment to Fighting Family Violence and Violence against Women

The Dominican Government Declares its Commitment to Fighting Family Violence and Violence against Women
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 29/11/12

In keeping with the respective commitments made by Mr. Danilo Medina, President of the Republic, in his inaugural speech this past August 16th, the institutions that comprise the National Commission on the Prevention of Family Violence (CONAPLUVI), coordinated by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, issued its own Declaration of Principles.

In the introduction to her speech, this public official affirmed that the problems of family violence and violence against women have socio-cultural, economic, and educational roots, which are the source of violent values, attitudes and behaviors that are passed on from one generation to the next in most countries of the world.

Referring to the document in question, the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Alejandrina Germán, stressed that the initiative is part of a larger campaign, UNiTE to End Violence Against Women, which is being promoted by the General Secretary of the United Nations. Its goal is to strengthen inter-institutional relationships and employ more effective strategies for preventing, detecting, responding to and sanctioning violence against women and within families.

In the introduction to her speech, this public official affirmed that the problems of family violence and violence against women have socio-cultural, economic, and educational roots, which are the source of violent values, attitudes and behaviors that are passed on from one generation to the next in most countries of the world.

The activity was presided by Mr. Danilo Medina, President of the Republic, together with First Lady Cándida Montilla de Medina; Alejandrina Germán, Minister of Women’s Affairs; Dr. Francisco Domínguez Brito, Attorney General of the Republic; Mr. Gustavo Montalvo, Minister of the Presidency; and Mr. José Ramón Peralta, Administrative Minister of the Presidency.

In its Declaration of Commitment, CONAPLUVI promises to coordinate its actions with the National Congress, the Judiciary, the Central Board of Elections, local governments, civil society, and Dominican society in general.

“The institutions and organizations represented here will work to make a reality of the promises that you made to Dominican women in your inaugural speech: ‘We assume the responsibility of undertaking a comprehensive effort to eradicate this horrible and embarrassing scourge of violence within our families, and gender violence overall.’ To do this, we need support from all of Dominican society, which is why we are announcing here that the Dominican Republic is officially joining the campaign led by the United Nations General Secretary, UNiTE to End Violence Against Women!” concluded Alejandrina Germán, referring to comments made by President Danilo Medina in his inaugural address last August.

DECLARATION OF COMMITMENT BY MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE PREVENTION OF FAMILY VIOLENCE (CONAPLUVI)

The promulgation of Law 24/97, which penalizes violence against women and family violence, institutionalized a series of public policies in our country aimed at preventing, detecting, responding to and sanctioning this problem, which primarily affects women, girls, boys, adolescents, the elderly, and people with disabilities.  However, it is important to recognize that family violence and violence against women are complex problems.  This type of violence is usually fueled by socio-cultural, economic and educational conditions that reproduce values, attitudes and behaviors that are passed on from one generation to another, in most countries of the world.

During the past decade in our country, each year around 200 women were murdered by their partners or former partners.  For most of our society, these violent acts—which had very painful consequences for the families of victims—seem unstoppable. Despite efforts spearheaded by the government and civil society organizations, we look on with a certain sense of helplessness, finding that the problem continues.

For this reason, among others, the National Commission on the Prevention of Family Violence (CONAPLUVI), has decided to work to strengthen and coordinate efforts, in order to generate more effective strategies for preventing, detecting, responding to and sanctioning family violence and violence against women …

For this reason, among others, the National Commission on the Prevention of Family Violence (CONAPLUVI), has decided to work to strengthen and coordinate efforts, in order to generate more effective strategies for preventing, detecting, responding to and sanctioning family violence and violence against women, in line with the commitments made by His Excellency, the President of the Republic, Mr. Danilo Medina, in his inaugural address to the National Assembly on August 16, 2012.

The CONAPLUVI Strategic Plan for 2011-2016 represents an effort to address the social, cultural, educational and economic causes of violence against women and children. It clearly reflects the decision to assume collective responsibility for strengthening preventive measures and reducing violent conduct, through implementing a range of specialized educational programs and other intervention strategies.

Also proposed is the expansion and strengthening of programs aimed at detecting violence in a timely fashion, responding more effectively and efficiently to cases that have been detected, and imposing more serious sanctions on aggressors, along with improving Re-Education Programs for Aggressors aimed at deconstructing violent behavior.

As indicated previously, our country has various laws, policies, programs and mechanisms in place that are intended to prevent, detect, respond to and sanction violence against women and children, at the three levels of state power. These include:

· The National Plan on Gender Equality and Equity for 2007-2017, being implemented by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, which provides emotional support and legal defense nationwide through Provincial and Municipal Offices on Women, as well through the services of Women’s Shelters or Refuges, and a 24-hour Hotline.

· The Public Defender’s Office has created various mechanisms, including the Comprehensive Care Units for Victims of Gender Violence, Family Violence and Sexual Crimes; the National District Defender’s Center for Women Survivors of Violenceand Center for Behavioral Intervention with Men; and the Program for Victims and Witnesses.

Other existing structures include:

· The National Police’s Specialized Care Unit for Women and Victims of Family Violence.

· The Dominican Senate’s Permanent Commission on the Family and Gender Equity.

· The House of Deputies’ Permanent Commission on Gender Equity.

· The Judiciary’s Department on Family, Children, Adolescence and Gender Equity and the Gender Equity Policy.

· National Norms on Comprehensive Health Care for Victims of Family Violence and Violence Against Women, and other public policy initiatives of the Ministry of Public Health.

In addition, civil society organizations have undertaken a wide range ofinitiatives in the areas of research, prevention, early detection, attention and defense of women who have been victims of violence, along with providing legal services to defend women’s human rights and monitoring the country’s different response systems for women and families that have been victimized by violence.

The Office of the Vice President of the Republic, is implementing various programs through the Social Cabinet and the Office of the First Lady, which promote economic empowerment, health, education, and other services, all of which are effective means of preventing violence against women and violence within families.

Today, the government institutions and civil society organizations that make up the National Commission on the Prevention of Family Violence, together with the Office of the First Lady, commit ourselves before the His Excellency, President of the Republic, Mr. Danilo Medina Sánchez, and before the people of the Dominican Republic and, most especially Dominican women, to redouble our efforts and unify government and civil society actions that are aimed at achieving the goals of the President’s “Women Alive” Program, which works to reduce gender violence and femicide in our country. This program will undertake concrete actions to improve the efficacy and efficiency of the plans, programs and projects being developed, all of which share one common objective: eradicating violence against women and within families, through coordinated actions that prevent, detect, respond to and sanction violence.

Therefore,

The Office of the First Lady, in fulfilling its mission, agrees to promote, support, and implement actions that support the integral development of families, children and adolescents, especially the ones that have been unable to achieve adequate conditions to overcome barriers to development processes.  It also agrees to promote programs that foster gender equality and equity, protect women living in high-risk situations and elderly women, and prevent and respond to violence perpetrated against women and within families.

The Ministry of Education (MINERD) commits itself to improving the quality of education, contributing to a reduction in gender violence in schools, and transforming gender socialization processes that reproduce today’s hegemonic masculinity in behavior, values and attitudes, which is a fundamental cause of violence against girls and women.  Moreover, the MINERD agrees to incorporate highly innovative and effective content and strategies related to violence prevention in curricula and in teacher training courses, to strengthen a culture of peaceful conflict resolution, harmonious living, responsible and healthy lifestyles, and the development of values, behavior and social responsibility.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology commits itself to promoting the incorporation of a gender equality and equity perspective into curricula being developed by higher education institutions, and to insuring that university students join the effort to prevent violence against women and within families.

The Ministry of Public Health agrees to strengthen the implementation of National Norms for the Comprehensive Health Care of Victims of Family Violence and Violence Against Women, at all levels of the National Health Care System, in coordination with all institutions and organizations promoting lives free of violence, through adopting a gender-based approach inits interventions: outreach, prevention, detection, registration, attention, and the timely referral of cases.

The Ministry of Culture agrees to promote the construction of a culture based on respect for differences and peaceful coexistence, equality, equity, and justice in the exercise of real democracy.  It will also work to address customs and traditions that reproduce inequality and exclusion based on gender, or any other condition.

The Ministry of Sports agrees to encourage and promote the development of female leadership, providing equal opportunities and access so that girls, female adolescents and women can practice sports, as a means toward promoting gender equality and equity and preventing violence against women and within families.

The Ministry of Youth will work on developing a training program for young people beginning in early adolescence, through which a culture of respect will be fostered.  It will teach young people about healthy relationships so that future nuclear families will be strengthened by positive values, and so Dominican women and men will fully develop their skills and raise healthy families without violence.

The National Council on Children and Youth will promote equal rights and equal opportunities for girls and female adolescents, and will guarantee protection and attention for girls, boys and adolescents who have been victims of violence and who have been orphaned by femicide.  It will also provide shelter to adolescents between the ages of 14-18 whose mothers and younger brothers and sisters are living in Women’s Shelters or Refuges because they are at risk of being killed.

The National Police agrees to improve the prevention of criminal behavior, to provide assistance and protection to the victims of gender-based and family violence, and to assist the justice system in criminally prosecuting such crimes, pursuing and investigating offenders, and arresting them and placing them before the corresponding authorities.

The General Directorate for Community Development will become the key organizational structure for preventing violence against women and within families at the local and community level, through building community support networks to implement actions that raise awareness, educate, prevent and respond to cases of violence, and promote greater access to the corresponding services.  It will also promote programs that train and educate women to work in non-traditional professions, and work to prevent adolescent pregnancies.

The Dominican Association for Family Welfare agrees to continue strengthening and expanding its interventions aimed at detecting Violence Against Women in a timely fashion through its health care services; providing emotional support to the survivors of violence; attending to emergency cases and making the corresponding referrals; providing training about Gender-Based Violence for the National Police Academies and units; conducting coordinated training and lobbying actions with the Public Defender’s Office; preventing and attending to Violence and HIV-AIDS; participating in inter-sector and inter-institutional arenas with the goal of reforming and proposing laws;and participating in networks to lobby for policies and programs aimed at eliminating and eradicating violence against women (girls, adolescents and adults), as well as the abuse and negligence of boys and girls.

The Center for Support to the Women of Santiago commits itself to promoting inter-sectoral coordination in the development of local, regional and national policies, programs and strategies for preventing and responding to cases of violence against women, family violence, and sexual violence; promoting training, community information and communication about the phenomenon of violence against women; conducting ongoing research about the phenomenon; participating in human rights lobbying; and monitoring the response system to cases of violence in Santiago and throughout the country.

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs agrees to continue promoting and strengthening the implementation of public policies, plans, programs and projects that guarantee the full application of existing laws and norms aimed at preventing violence against women and violence within families, providing comprehensive care, and improving actions nationwide that prevent and detect violence and provide legal and emotional support to female victims of violence and their families.  Such actions are implemented through the Provincial and Municipal Offices on Women, as well through the services of Women’s Shelters or Refuges and a 24-hour Hotline.

In addition, we are committed to expanding and strengthening programs that raise awareness and educate about gender and human rights, and about instruments that are available for defending the rights of women, in coordination with the Provincial and Municipal Offices on Women, the Gender and Development mechanisms of government institutions, the National Congress and the Judiciary.  And also in coordination with the Municipal Governments, the Gender Unit of the Dominican Federation of Municipalities, and civil society and community-based organizations.

We are also committed to working to unify the efforts of institutions and organizations that sign and support this declaration, and working ceaselessly, together with the Gender Commissions of the National Congress, the Judiciary, the Central Board of Elections, local governments, civil society, and Dominican society in general, until Dominican society is free of violence against women and within families, and is a society in which women may fully exercise their citizenship and rights. To achieve this, we also need the approval of a Penal Code that is consistent with the principle expressed in Article 42, Chapter 2, of our Constitution, which “condemns family violence and gender-based violence in any of its forms,” and affirms that “the state will guarantee, by law, the adoption of any necessary measures for preventing, sanctioning and eradicating violence against women.”

Finally, Mr. President, the institutions and organizations represented here will work to make a reality of the promises you made to Dominican women in your inaugural speech: “We assume the responsibility of undertaking a comprehensive effort to eradicate this horrible and embarrassing scourge of violence in our families, and gender violence overall.” To do this, we need support from all of Dominican society, which is why we are announcing here that the Dominican Republic has officially joined the campaign led by the United Nations General Secretary, UNiTE to End Violence Against Women!