´Anonymous´ women demand action as femicides jump

Santo Domingo.- Representativesof various women’s organizations under the symbol "Anonymous" on Tuesdayhanded a document at the National Palace asking president Danilo Medina to dealwith the recent wave of femicides across the country.

The protesters said itwas regrettable and an outrage that they had to leave after waiting 25 minutesat reception, since no official received them. “This is an example of the littleinterest of the authorities to confront the violence and the problems affectingwomen.”

They said Dominicanwomen are still victims of multiple forms of inequality and discrimination, higherunemployment, workplace discrimination, low representation in alldecision-making bodies, higher numbers of maternal deaths, denial of theirexercise of sexual and reproductive rights and limited access to ownership andcontrol of land and housing, among other serious hurdles.

Group spokeswoman SergiaGalvan said among the main obstacles Dominican women must surmount figure reachingsocial equality and the full exercise of their rights; gender violence in itsvarious forms, “with femicides the most tragic expression,” in which theDominican Republic ranks third in the region´s femicides.