MEASURES TO ADDRESS LACK OF PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN POLITICS, UNEMPLOYMENT LEADING TO EMIGRATION, SEXUAL EXPLOITATION, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Press Release
WOM/1023
MEASURES TO ADDRESS LACK OF PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN POLITICS, UNEMPLOYMENT LEADING TO EMIGRATION, SEXUAL EXPLOITATION, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
19980203 Highlighted by Dominican Republic's Delegation Introducing Country's Report to Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against WomenThe "deep-rooted sexist patterns" prevailing in the Dominican Republic were responsible for the lack of participation of women in politics, the Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women was told this morning as it began consideration of reports of that country on its implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
Patricia Solano, Director of Communications at the Ministry of Women's Affairs of the Dominican Republic, also said that in order to boost the participation of women in politics -- at a time when the country was updating and reforming its legislation -- a new law had set a quota of 25 per cent of women candidates in the electoral system. In addition, the women's movement was carrying out a broad national campaign to promote the participation of women in elections.
She also said that the current unemployment rate had resulted in the large emigration of some 25,000 Dominican women to Europe. Some engaged in domestic work in Spain, others had to face sexual exploitation. There were an estimated 50,000 peopled engaged in sexual work in the Dominican Republic, however no programmes existed for the social and economic integration of prostitutes, with the exception of some minor intervention by religious groups. Although a new law punished the perpetrators of all types of violence against women, no specific data was available on domestic violence, she added.
Introducing her country's second, third and fourth periodic reports to the Committee, Gladys Gutierrez, Director at the Women's Affairs Ministry, said that the long-standing struggle to reform Dominican legislation and integrate the rights of women began with the adoption of several key bills.
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In addition to the electoral law, others included tougher laws on domestic violence, a new education bill providing for equal access, and a revised agrarian reform law, specifically targeted to rural women.
Ms. Gutierrez said that her country's commitment to the Convention had been a powerful instrument for Dominican women in its fight to overcome subordination and change the patriarchal order. However, measures to govern and establish human rights for women were insufficient. A national machinery, such as a general administration for the promotion of women, was needed to guarantee those rights.
The delegation was joined by an officer in the Ministry in charge of Technical Affairs, Gloria Muniz, who addressed the Committee's questions on labour and education reform.
The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue its consideration of the reports of the Dominican Republic.
Committee Work Programme
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women met this morning to consider the Dominican Republic's implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It had before it that country's second and third periodic reports of May 1993, covering the period from 1988 to 1989 (document CEDAW/C/DOM/2-3), as well as the fourth periodic report of November 1997, which updates the previous reports (document CEDAW/C/DOM/4).
The reports provide a demographic backdrop for the implementation of the Convention, followed by a discussion of compliance with that treaty by article. Over the last 20 years the Dominican Republic has been one of the most economically active Caribbean countries in terms of tourism and exportation, the second and third periodic report states. That growth was boosted by an intensive rural to urban migratory process that shifted labour to the towns. The bulk of the migrant population is female. That migration - - coupled with the country's economic crisis, as a result of, among other factors, trade imbalances, and the rise in oil and natural gas prices -- led to a major expansion of the informal sector of the Dominican economy. It is in that context that women are joining the labour force, essentially in the export and service sectors. Some 40 per cent of those women are heads of household or members of families with no adult males.
The years 1988 to 1990 were a period of great activity for women's organizations in their struggle to ensure that women's issues would be taken up on a permanent basis, the report states. The establishment in April 1989 of a national coordinating unit for non-governmental women's organizations represents a genuine effort at institutional coordination and provides a mechanism for advancing the status of women. Steps have been taken to increase the public awareness of the "disadvantaged situation" of women, from a gender perspective. Non-governmental women's organizations have made a significant contribution in that respect, including the development of women's groups, chiefly in rural areas.
Nevertheless, the report states, "serious obstacles continue to restrict the implementation of the Convention". The main obstacles include lack of awareness at the institutional level and among the population of the Convention's provisions and of the mandatory requirement that parties must implement those provisions. Lack of motivation on the part of male legislators to submit or consider proposals that benefit women, as well as legislation that discriminates against women, and the perpetuation of an educational system that maintains sexist attitudes and stereotypes contribute to the situation. The application of the Convention and the execution of a national policy designed to improve women's situation require a political commitment to ensure that urgent priority is given to women in relation to development and the allocation of resources.
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The report states that most of the country's public institutions lack clear objectives and experience a high turnover of specialist staff owing to frequent political changes. There is no civil service or administrative career structure to ensure a more efficient and stable work force or to promote staff policies aimed at encouraging professionalism and institution building. The Department for the Advancement of Women and its advisory board, the most appropriate bodies for ensuring compliance with the Convention, suffer from weaknesses and shortcomings in terms of management and resources. The lack of coordination and leadership are impeding numerous projects, resulting in the non-enforcement of regulations.
However, according to the report, the Department for the Advancement of Women, which is the supreme organ for programming and executing policies for women, has contributed greatly towards improving the situation of Dominican women. Its establishment coincided with the entry into force of the Convention in the Dominican Republic in 1982. Further public mobilization took place between 1988 and 1990, including the gender-sensitivity training of specialist personnel of public institutions. In 1988, there were some 67 non- governmental organizations working with women. During the period covered by the report, two new women's associations have been granted legal status.
The fourth periodic report outlines recent population trends affecting women. Migration has gradually changed its behaviour and pace over the last five years, as the flow from rural to urban areas shifted to mainly urban to urban. Women migrate most within the country, essentially for economic reasons. Their recent mobility has centred around the provinces where free trade zones have been opened and large tourist complexes have been established. The process is characterized by a shift from a basically agricultural economy to one of services, resulting in the growing deterioration of living and working conditions for the urban and rural populations alike. Also highlighted are the economic trends, including the feminization of poverty and the deep chasm between unemployment among men and women.
Taking up the specific articles of the Convention, the periodic report states that in terms of legislation, very important changes have been enacted in the Dominican Republic to advance the cause of women. Moreover, broad segments of civil society, notably the women's movement, women members of Congress and several specialized government departments, in particular the Department for the Advancement of Women, participated in the legislative drafting process. While the Dominican Government has not taken any special temporary measures to hasten equality between men and women, it is spearheading programmes designed to promote gender equality. Also under study in the legislative chambers is a draft bill to amend the current elections law, requiring the employment of at least 30 per cent women in congressional and municipal positions. If passed, it would be the first measure of positive affirmation of women in the annals of Dominican legislation.
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Amended legislation specifically favouring women includes a revised penal code that previously "viewed sexual violence as an offence or attempted offence against modesty", the report states. The amendment classifies and prescribes penalties for violence against women and domestic and intra-family abuse, for sexual assaults, procuring and trafficking in women, desertion of family, and discrimination. Other such amendments include the Agrarian Reform Act, the Labour Code, and the approval of a General Education Act, which includes an overhaul of the curriculum. During preparation of the report, a general health bill was being debated in the National Congress, as well as a child day care bill.
Despite advances for Dominican women, the problem of violence has been a particular concern of the Dominican Government, the report states. It is estimated that one in every six Dominican woman will be a victim of physical violence in her lifetime. Recent estimates also indicate that violence is the sixth leading cause of death among women in the Dominican Republic, and that rape occurs once every six hours. The foremost manifestations of violence are intra-family and sexual abuse, rapes, sexual persecution, incest, physical and psychological abuse, and sexual trafficking in women. Sexual and intra- family abuse is a direct consequence of socio-cultural patterns of male behaviour. Women are socialized to look upon it as natural and are therefore afraid to report it, which in turn helps to aggravate the under-recording.
The report adds that the enactment and subsequent promulgation of legislation concerning violence against women is the outcome of a long struggle on the part of the Dominican women's movement. A nationwide campaign, including radio and television spots, strives to heighten awareness about intra-family violence and sexual persecution. Other measures include training workshops, which target law enforcement, teachers, health-care personnel, and legal aid clinics. Police stations known as "Women's Welcome Stations" have also been opened. They specialize in handling cases of violence against women and intra-family violence. In addition, there are 12 non-governmental organizations supplying legal and psychological assistance to women victims.
As a footnote to the overall problem of violence in the Dominican Republic, the report notes that studies undertaken in Switzerland, Netherlands and Belgium have found that most of the women victims of trafficking or prostitution in those countries come from the Dominican Republic, involving an estimated 50,000 women. Child and youth prostitution has been a growing problem in recent years, resulting in an amended code of criminal procedure and code for the protection of children and adolescents.
Marriage and family have undergone "profound changes" due to socio- cultural and economic factors, the report notes. Those changes can be seen in the composition of the family, the increase in households headed by women, the increase in common law marriages, the reduction in fertility rates, and the
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rise in the divorce rate. The minimum age for marrying is 16 years for men and 15 years for women.
The report draws attention to the historical combination of cultural patterns, beliefs, values and attitudes that assign roles to men and women, and limit women's development. Domestic service, for example, was seen as women's work and therefore was not recognized as an occupation and was virtually unregulated. An amended labour code in 1992 changed that situation. While it is still difficult for women to gain equal footing with men because of the two- or threefold burden of labour they take on if they are largely responsible for the home, there are signs that men's behaviour is changing significantly in that regard. Moreover, women's increased participation in the labour force and in politics, as well as their improved access to education are fortifying their position.
Recent positive changes include greater access to education for women, the report states. That has narrowed the gaps between Dominican men and women in rates of illiteracy and enrolment through the educational system. In addition, the amended labour code removed the articles that discriminated against women, and safeguards their pregnancy and maternity functions. Those provisions include three paid breaks of at least 20 minutes each during the workday to nurse a child. However, there have been no significant advances in the area of social support services, such as child-care services, to enable women to take up employment. Overall, the unemployment rate among women is four times higher than among men. In addition to the marked contrast in unemployment between men and women, there is also a sharp difference in their rates of pay.
In the area of health, the Government is immersed in a process of broad reform aimed at revamping the entire health-care system with a view to improving the quality of services and expanding coverage, the report states. With one third of the AIDS cases affecting women, the issue of women and AIDS in the Dominican Republic has been explored. Cultural, social and legal factors predispose women to risk, as well as educational levels, poverty, religion, and sexual and intra-family abuse. Those factors affect women's ability to secure agreement on preventive measures, such as the use of a condom.
Women comprise nearly half of the rural population, and head 18 per cent of rural households, the report states. Their integration into development measures was further constrained by their limited access to land. The regulations governing agrarian reform did not treat women as subjects for such reform since they could participate only through their husbands. They were therefore unable to exercise any formal and legal power with respect to the land and the benefits arising from such reform. A step forward was the
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amendment to the agrarian reform law that allows women to benefit on equal terms with men with respect to settlement, agricultural credit, technical training and housing plans.
Introduction of Report
GLADYS GUTIERREZ, Director at the Ministry of Women's Affairs of the Dominican Republic, said that the country's commitment to the Convention had been a powerful instrument for Dominican women in their fight to overcome subordination and change the patriarchal order. The fourth report was an instrument for self-assessment on the changes taking place in the various social and governmental sectors. The Government wished to identify obstacles to women's advancement, as well as measures to overcome them.
The long-standing struggle to reform the legislation began with the adoption of several key bills, she said. Those included a law against domestic violence, new education legislation establishing the principle of equal access, and a revised electoral law setting a quota of 25 per cent of women's participation in the electoral system. Changes in the agrarian reform law also benefited women.
However, it was not sufficient to take measures to govern and establish human rights for women, she said. Mechanisms were needed to guarantee those rights. In that regard, the general administration for the promotion of women had been consolidated, and a greater portion of budgetary resources had been allocated. Women's political participation had increased in all spheres, including in the Supreme Court of Justice and in the foreign service. Their participation in decision-making posts needed to be strengthened. The challenge remaining in the educational sphere was to overcome the "sexist thinking" that persisted even in the professional circles. Another important challenge was mitigating poverty, including the implementation of specific programmes aimed at alleviating the situation faced by women.
Turning to written questions previously submitted by the Committee, GLORIA MUNIZ, an officer-in-charge of Technical Affairs at the Ministry, detailed the historical ethnic mix of Dominican society. The basic components were Indians, whites and blacks. However, the rapid disappearance of the Indians had changed the ethnic composition of society. Now, whites and blacks predominated. She next defined both the urban and rural class structures, according to income and profession.
In the economical sphere, overall national growth grew in June 1997, compared to the growth recorded in the previous year for the same period, she said. The overall inflation rate increased, bringing the annual rate to 7.5 per cent, with an estimated 9 per cent rate of inflation for 1997. The most recent rate of unemployment was nearly 16 per cent overall, with unemployed women comprising more than three times the percentage of unemployed
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men. Statistics reaffirmed that the economy had grown, but that did not necessarily mean that the distribution of salaries had improved, or that the quality of life had improved.
She said that towards eradicating poverty as a prerequisite to sustainable development, the Government had developed several programmes, including one to create new jobs in the rural sector. Among the programmes recently created, she cited an immediate response programme for the production of food to benefit small- and medium-sized producers. In addition, a plan called "A Project for a Nation" had been developed to ensure a national dialogue. An action plan to reduce poverty was also being implemented. Its main objective was to improve the living standards of the most impoverished sector of the economy. Women appeared to be the primary beneficiaries of that plan, given its particular emphasis on the role of heads of households.
Some $4.3 million was earmarked for programmes for women , including one to provide production cooperatives for women, she said. The objective was to develop alternative sources of income for women and poor heads of household, aimed at improving the living conditions of families. There was also a new programme for pregnant women, and community children's homes were being set up to offer care and education to the children of working women. Among the other new initiatives were a programme coordinating donations to disabled and unemployed women, a new housing project, and programmes to benefit rural women.
Since the reform process had recently begun, it was too early to evaluate its benefits to women, she said. The gender approach, however, was included in the reform process, and the need to incorporate the gender perspective had been realized. In the area of improved data collection, an information system was designed to combat the prevalence of violence against women. The Government had established measures for a national follow-up to the Beijing Platform for Action, and had signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to work together with the country's Department for the Advancement of Women. Overall, the budget allocated for the general promotion of women had grown six times in recent years.
Continuing, she said that the Dominican Republic had taken steps to change the civil and penal codes. Also, electoral laws had been taken and other measures had been taken to reform the Constitution. There was also lobbying in Congress for the ratification of agreements that would help the situation of women such as laws prohibiting specifically violence against women. One problem that hindered legal improvements concerning women's advancement was that the Constitution had been drafted when men and women were not considered equal citizens of the State.
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On the topic of rural housing for women, she said the Department for the Advancement of Women along with the Agrarian Institute had concluded an agreement to speed up agrarian settlements for women, especially in the south- eastern part of the country where poverty of rural women was greater. So far 1,280 rural women had been given housing under government programmes.
Continuing the answer session, PATRICIA SOLANO, Director of Communications, said the human rights of women suffering from abuse by the police or other government officials were protected by anti-violence laws. The laws imposed 30 years of imprisonment when abuse was conducted by someone with public authority. In its first year in force, the laws had led to the removal from office of a judge who had committed an act of violence. The Dominican Republic had taken a number of actions to make law enforcement and other officials aware of the laws as well as to bring them to the attention of women. Workshops and other activities had been held to educate the police and for women officials to help them implement the laws.
She added that the Department for the Advancement of Women was carrying out a national action plan to ensure the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. There had also been development programmes and projects to reduce inequalities and a national plan for gender equity was implemented in 1997. That plan was meant to modify the penal code, agrarian laws and the education system to reduce discrimination. She added that there were also programmes to promote micro-enterprises that provided credit for women, including one that generated employment for women by setting up textile factories specifically for women workers.
On the implementation of international conventions, she said such treaties were part of the country's national legislation adopted by Congress and implemented by the executive branch. An international treaty addressing violence against women had been recently included in the penal code and there was now jurisprudence of cases being tried on that topic. Implementing the laws, however, required conceptual changes that were often difficult for society. The Government had attempted to make those conceptual changes by educating the police and prosecutors.
The Dominican Republic had attempted to raise awareness of the problem of violence against women through printed teaching materials and training days for police, law and health professionals, she said. Last October, the Department for the Protection of Women had set up an office in Santo Domingo to manage cases of violence against women and the Government planned to open similar offices in other parts of the country this year. The Department also helped to compile data on violence that was complete and trustworthy. In its first months of work, it had reported from 12 to 20 cases of violence or quarrels per week in Santo Domingo.
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On women's reaction to reform measures, she said that many social behaviours were ensconced and there was some resistance by women to the reforms. Women experienced the same process of socialization that men went through and that often led to stereotypes and sexism for both sexes. Measures taken to address that problem included the recognition and reassessment of women's role in society. There had also been specific days established to celebrate the role of women.
On the topic of sexual harassment and violence, she said that, although laws existed prohibiting such actions, those incidents often went unreported by women. There was also resistance from police to enforce the laws, especially in cases of domestic violence. There was a need for radical change in the minds of the people and that was only possible through a gradual process of awareness building.
On the subject of images of women in the media, she said they often promoted the stereotypes of a subordinate role for women in society. The media continued to see women as sexual objects to serve a male population and those mechanisms strengthened the man's position of supremacy and perpetuated abuse. Traditional education also promoted the image of the passive woman. One factor that had changed that image of women had been their increased presence in the work place. The increased need for labour had sent many women to work and that had contributed to their status and power in society.
To eliminate stereotypical images of women, she said the Department for the Advancement of Women had banned scenes in advertising that would promote discrimination and violence. Radio and television campaigns had also been started with slogans such as "There is no reason for abuse".
The sexual abuse of boys and girls was also an area of concern in her country, she said. The numbers of such cases were low because the incidence often went unreported, but Dominican Republic laws had increased penalties for trafficking in and sexual aggression against minorities and children.
On the role of religion, she said the tie between the State and the church were deep and there was no separation between the two. That limited the country's ability to change the social patterns that discriminated against women. There was currently a process of analysis and redefinition of the woman's role in society and the church would be included in that process.
Continuing, Ms. SOLANO said that the law on family violence of January 1997 condemned the trade in women and girls and penalized the perpetrators. Such laws were being disseminated by the Department for the Advancement of Women, as well as by non-governmental organizations and training workshops for judges and police. Joint action was also being coordinated with migration and tourism officials, as more cases of child prostitution and traffic in women and girls were concentrated in those areas.
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The current unemployment rate had resulted in the large emigration of some 25,000 Dominican women to Europe, she said. Some engaged in domestic work in Spain, others had to face sexual exploitation. There were an estimated 50,000 peopled engaged in sexual work in the Dominican Republic, however no programmes existed for the social and economic integration of prostitutes, with exception of some minor intervention by religious groups.
Although a new law punished the perpetrators of all types of violence against women, no specific data was available on domestic violence, she went on. Upon the promulgation of the law in January 1997, data collection was initiated. The experiences of women victims of domestic violence had been very traumatic, particularly in light of reports that authorities acted with "sexist prejudice" and blamed the women for provoking the violence. Since domestic violence was not previously characterized as a crime, it was difficult to punish the perpetrators. Furthermore, the privacy of the victim was often violated by personnel, particularly police officers, who were not trained to deal with such matters. Under the new law, women were encouraged to report such incidences, which were still occurring.
Concerning migration, she said that the Dominican Government had issued educational material relating to the problems of Dominican women in Europe. In addition, the Government had held meetings with migrant women living in Switzerland and Spain to exchange information about their situations and learn about their needs. Efforts were also being made to channel financial assistance to the implementation of the relevant programmes.
The lack of measures regulating the political participation of women was rooted in the social and cultural make-up of a country that had "deep-rooted sexist patterns", she said. However, a new law, adopted on 12 December 1997, had set a quota of 25 per cent of women in the electoral system.
In addition, the women's movement was carrying out a broad national campaign to promote the participation of women in elections, she said. Under the slogan, "Politics Belong to Women as Well", the campaign included training programmes for women candidates and political party leaders on gender aspects of politics and empowerment. A national programme to address women's demands, called "Equal Opportunity Plan for Women", widely disseminated information through radio and television. Non-governmental organizations also undertook programmes aimed at encouraging women's participation. All of the programmes had been strengthened by the quota law, which sought to promote women candidates and apply vigilant pressure to the political process overall.
Ms. MUNIZ said that in order to eliminate sexism in education, the Secretary of State for Education and Culture had drafted policies for non- sexist teaching. The implementation of projects promoting women's education, and the development of a gender-based educational programme for teachers was also under way. Some 9,000 people, including schoolteachers, took part in
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nationwide workshops on gender analysis. Others participated in non- discriminatory vocational training days. The gender-based prerequisites in the public and private school for technical education had been eliminated. The vocational and technical schools were mixed and no longer set gender-based prerequisites for certain careers. Training programmes in non-traditional careers for women were also being promoted, and statistics showed that enrolment was on the rise.
To a question concerning sex education in schools, she said that a recent decision had assigned a psychologist to the public elementary and high schools in the Dominican Republic. However, resistance from the Catholic Church historically had made it difficult to implement a national sex education programme.
She said that the process of democratization, under way since the 1960s, had led to the development of a women's movement striving to meet the social and ideological claims of women on the one hand, and provide access to the labour market on the other. That was why education for women had increased at the higher levels, with female university graduates entering the professional labour force. However, some obstacles remained to women acceding to decision- making positions despite their better educational scores than men.
Labour conditions overall had improved with the implementation in 1992 of a labour code, she said. That improvement particularly included the treatment and working conditions of female workers, with the exception of domestic help, whose work relations were governed by a special statute. However, there was no institutional mechanism to follow through with the regulation of domestic help. In practice, that decision was left up to each employer. The labour code contained certain other shortcomings with regard to its implementation. In practice, although the labour code guaranteed the protection of the rights of all workers, ensuring equal rights for female workers, the courts did have the authority to impose sentences for violations of legal standards established for men and women.
Provisions concerning child care had been one of the most difficult to implement, but female workers were exercising that right on an "adequate" basis, she said. Furthermore, there were no nurseries provided in businesses, and some had undertaken their own health programmes in the workplace. In terms of health and security in the workplace, the worst conditions prevailed in the textile industry.
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