Dominican Republic halfway in progress towards equal political participation

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic scored 49.2 out of 100 on the Atenea Political Parity Index (PPI), a tool used to assess the status of women’s political rights from a parity perspective. This index is a collaborative regional initiative of various United Nations organizations, including the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

The study, which encompasses eight dimensions, revealed that the Dominican Republic’s highest score was in the Judiciary and electoral field, achieving 62.3 points. However, the country’s most significant weakness was identified in the dimension analyzing national commitments to equality in the Constitution and the legal framework, where it scored only 30 points.

In the other six dimensions, the Dominican Republic’s scores ranged between 42 and 56 points, indicating moderate progress toward equal political participation for women. These dimensions included political parties (56.4 points), the Executive Branch and public administration (54.9), the existence of quota or parity mechanisms (51.1), women’s right to suffrage (49.3), the Legislative Branch (47.1), and local government (42.2).

Despite steps taken to promote political parity and improve women’s participation in politics and elections, achieving gender equality in the political realm remains a significant challenge. One of the main hurdles is the continued resistance among party leaders to ensure equal participation of women alongside men.

The Dominican Republic’s participation in the Atenea PPI places it among other Latin American and Caribbean countries like Mexico, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Panama, Honduras, Guatemala, Uruguay, and Brazil, who have also undertaken this assessment.

The release of this data took place at the headquarters of the Dominican Central Electoral Board (JCE), with key figures including JCE President Román Jáquez Liranzo, UNDP Resident Representative Inka Mattila, German Ambassador Maike Friedrichsen, and Dominican Vice Minister of Women Amada Manzueta present. Jáquez Liranzo emphasized the importance of this analysis for advancing an egalitarian state where women can fully exercise their political-electoral rights. Mattila highlighted UNDP’s commitment to supporting the Dominican Republic in measuring progress and addressing challenges in women’s equitable participation in politics.