Organizations analyze progress and challenges of gender-parity democracy in the DR

Santo Domingo.– Representatives of civil society organizations, political leaders, academics, and activists participated in the meeting “Parity Democracy: Progress, Challenges, and Obstacles,” a space for dialogue aimed at reflecting on women’s political participation and the challenges facing the construction of more equitable representation in the Dominican Republic.

The activity was organized by Participación Ciudadana, the Center for Research for Feminist Action (CIPAF), the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation, and the European Union, and was held at the Catalonia Hotel in Santo Domingo.

The keynote lecture was delivered by Martha Tagle Martínez, recognized for her career in promoting gender parity in Latin America. Additionally, a discussion panel was held with the participation of Milagros Ortiz Bosch, Minou Tavárez Mirabal, Josefina Arvelo Tejada, and Syra Taveras Pineda, moderated by Estephany Encarnación.

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During the day, the project “Parity Lab: Strengthening women’s political leadership in the Dominican Republic (Parity Lab)” was also presented, an initiative aimed at strengthening female leadership, promoting more inclusive party structures, and boosting tools for monitoring, transparency, and political advocacy.

The organizers pointed out that the launch of this project comes in a regional context where, despite the progress made in terms of women’s political participation, cultural, institutional, and political barriers persist that limit the full exercise of their rights.

Among the main components of the initiative is the “After the Vote” platform, designed to track legislative proposals, congress members’ decisions, and electoral commitments related to equality, inclusion, and parity. It also includes the creation of the Parity Dashboard, a digital board that will collect data on political representation, female leadership, gender gaps, and political violence against women.

In addition, the project provides for the publication of the Parity X-Ray, awareness campaigns under the slogan “More Women, More Democracy” and consultation processes with female politicians, young people and actors linked to the electoral system, with the aim of providing evidence for a more inclusive electoral reform.

The organizing entities reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening public debate on women’s political equality and to promoting a more representative, plural, and participatory democracy in the Dominican Republic.