UNICEF reports an increase in domestic violence in Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo.- A UNICEF report published Thursday revealed that the Dominican Republic registered 89 femicide victims in 2024, representing a rate of 1.5 per 100,000 women—an increase from the 69 cases reported in 2023. The study also highlights persistent risks for Dominican girls, noting that 31.5% of women aged 20–24 were married or in unions before age 18, and 9.4% before age 15.

According to WHO data cited in the report, 28.5% of Dominican women aged 15–49 have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime, and 22.8% within the past year. UNICEF’s interim representative in the country, Anyoli Sanabria, emphasized that each femicide devastates children’s lives and violates their right to grow up in safe environments.

Sanabria noted that UNICEF is working with authorities and community organizations to strengthen prevention, detection, and response systems, including training for families and educators, expanding care pathways, and promoting legal reforms to protect children and adolescents. She urged the government to eliminate the remaining Penal Code exception that allows physical punishment in homes, stating that such violence often precedes femicides.

The situation in the Dominican Republic reflects a broader global crisis. According to the United Nations, approximately 81,000 women and girls worldwide were killed intentionally in 2021, and nearly 45,000 died at the hands of intimate partners or family members—meaning that, on average, a woman is killed by someone she knows every 11 minutes. UN Women stresses that femicide remains “the most brutal and extreme manifestation” of gender-based violence.

Globally, the challenge is similar. UN data shows that 81,000 women and girls are killed each year, with nearly 45,000 murdered by partners or family—a rate of one every 11 minutes. Worldwide, 1 in 3 women has faced physical or sexual violence.

These numbers reflect a broader increase in gender-based and community violence, linked to social pressures, weak protection systems, and declining social cohesion. Countries that have invested in early-intervention programs, protection services, and community-level education have seen the greatest reductions.

For leaders, the message is clear:

Violence is not only a human rights issue but a structural risk that affects workforce well-being, economic performance, and national development. Strengthening prevention systems, legal frameworks, and support networks remains essential.