¿Ministry of Family and the Man? Congress opens the debate

Santo Domingo.- The Chamber of Deputies is preparing to hear from the citizenry about the creation of the Ministry of the Family, within the framework of the study of three bills that seek to create this new entity. Deputy Damarys Vásquez Castillo (PLD), member of the Permanent Family Commission, informed that public hearings will be held to gather opinions and contributions from different sectors.

The legislative initiatives, submitted in August 2024, were presented by congresswoman Enriqueta Rojas (Fuerza del Pueblo), congressman Wessin Chávez (PQDC), and congressman Juan José Rojas (PRM). Although they vary in technical aspects, they all agree on the creation of a ministry focused on strengthening the protection and development of the family unit.

A key point of debate is the definition of “family”: the projects of Wessin Chávez and Juan José Rojas describe it exclusively as the union between a man and a woman, while Enriqueta Rojas’s proposal opts not to establish a specific definition.

During the most recent commission meeting, congresswoman Altagracia de los Santos (PRM), promoter of the controversial proposal to create a Ministry of Men, expressed her interest in having her initiative included in the discussions about the Ministry of the Family. She stated that the social impact generated by her proposal “already represents progress.”

With these issues on the table, Congress prepares to open a space for dialogue that promises to be as broad as it is controversial.

Elimination of Ministries of Women and Youth

The three legislative proposals agree on the elimination of the Ministries of Women and Youth, whose functions would be absorbed by the new entity as thematic vice-ministries. This structure would also include areas such as childhood, adolescence, the elderly, and disability.

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In the case of the proposal by Representative Juan José Rojas, in addition to the ministries mentioned, other entities that would be dissolved or absorbed include: the National Council on Disability (CONADIS), the National Council for the Elderly (CONAPE), the Comprehensive Disability Care Center (CAID), the National Council for Children and Adolescents (CONANI), the Family Cabinet, the Children and Adolescents Cabinet (GANA), the National System for the Protection of the Fundamental Rights of Children and Adolescents, the National Institute for Comprehensive Care of Early Childhood (INAIPI), the National Council for Population and Family (CONAPOFA) and the National Council of Infant Daycare Centers (CONDEI).

For its part, the initiative presented by Enriqueta Rojas also contemplates the suppression of the aforementioned ministries, as well as CONANI and CONAPE.