International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Our Delegation commends the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) for the work it has done over the years for gender equity. We especially recognize its Executive Secretary, Alejandra Mora Mora, and the CIM as Technical Secretariat of the Follow-up Mechanism to the Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women, for joining their efforts in the elimination of violence against women, as we recognize this Organization of American States (OAS).

We thank the Chair for including on today's agenda this item on the Commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Madam Chair, today is a day of particular significance, because since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, the statistics show that every kind of violence against women and girls has been magnified, above all domestic violence. The COVID-19 situation has absorbed the greater part of the resources of health services and of essential services, such as the shelters and helplines that offer care to those who suffer violence in the home. Without doubt, we need to give fresh impetus to our efforts so that confronting violence against women is a priority in the measures of recovery from and response to the pandemic.

The advances made in eliminating violence against women can be traced by reviewing the ninety-two-year history of the CIM, which leads us today to remember the day on which Patria, Minerva and María Teresa Mirabal perished as a result of political violence. For their memory and their legacy, we will go on saying that equality cannot be attained without first achieving the elimination of violence against women and girls in all its forms and in every sphere of life.

In the Dominican Republic, our President, Luis Abinader, together with the Minister for Women, who is currently President of the Inter-American Commission of Women, continues to promote the mainstreaming of the gender perspective in all plans, programs and policies, and to guarantee the rights of women, especially their right to a life free of violence.

As a country, we are not exempt from the alarming statistics on violence in the region. To reverse this situation, a dialogue is being promoted with the participation of various public and private bodies, in order to set in motion a comprehensive system for prevention, care, punishment and the restitution of the rights of women, including their sons and daughters, so as to build a society of respect and harmonious coexistence between men and women.

We are working to strengthen the support services offered in the specialized units, in the shelters and through online services. Extensive awareness-raising work is being carried out through the media, with a proactive approach to the search for solutions, and efforts are being made to improve access to justice for women who are victims of violence. We recognize that this is a complex, multidimensional problem with serious repercussions. We are addressing it in a multidisciplinary way, with special emphasis on the early education of children and adolescents.

Madam Chair, this past November 25, our President and the Council of Ministers presented the Strategic Plan for a Life Free of Violence for Women, and he signed the Agreement on the Coordination of the Prevention of Gender Violence in the Dominican Republic. In the same way, our Minister of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Álvarez, created the gender equality unit within the internal structure of our Foreign Ministry, from which gender policies will be implemented in coordination with the Ministry for Women.

Finally, our commitment is to take firm steps to strengthen our democracy under the constitutional mandate of equality and non-discrimination, and to promote policies that ensure women the full enjoyment of their economic, social and political rights, for without women there is no democracy. Our motto must be “When women advance, society advances.”

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.