Implemented jointly in the country by UNDP and the Ministry of Women.
The Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions/Igualando RD is an accelerator towards gender equality aligned with the country’s National Development Strategy, the National Plan for Gender Equality and Equity, and other national policy instruments, as well as the 2030 Agenda. Through its implementation, it has been possible to strengthen and transform internal and external key dimensions of participant public institutions, strengthening the interconnection between their institutional objectives, structure and procedures, and the results and impacts of the public policies and services they deliver, in terms of advancing gender equality perspective and promoting the empowerment of women.
Mayra Jiménez, Minister of Women’s Affairs, indicated that the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions/Igualando RD represents an important tool for mainstreaming gender equality, and promotes transformation in terms of cultural change; working to raise awareness and transform the culture that sustains stereotypes, discrimination and violence. She added that the Seal is indispensable for progress within the institutions and in the fulfillment of their obligations and mandates.
The UNDP Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions is an innovative initiative that provides a concrete roadmap to permanently improve gender mainstreaming in public management. The initiative establishes bridges and connections between the organizational structure and the impact and results of public policies. Through the UNDP Seal institutions have obtained concrete results impacting more than 23,000 public collaborators in the country, among them 56% women and 44% men.
Inka Mattila, UNDP Resident Representative in Dominican Rebublic
The General Directorate of Public Procurement and Contracting (DGCP), the Central Electoral Board (JCE), the Judicial Branch, and the Single System of Beneficiaries SIUBEN were awarded the Gold Seal. The Dominican Telecommunications Institute (INDOTEL) and the SUPÉRATE Program were awarded the Silver Seal, while the Santo Domingo East City Council (ASDE) was awarded the Bronze seal.
Among the transformations resulting from the implementation of the Seal, the establishment of a program for the prevention of and response to of gender violence is a priority for the Municipal Plan for Citizen Security of the Municipality of Santo Domingo East. Similarly, the creation and promotion of mechanisms to ensure and facilitate access to public procurement for companies led by women is a best practice recognized at the regional level and result of the commitment and work of the General Directorate of Public Procurement (DGCP). Meanwhile, INDOTEL has prioritized gender equality in access to connectivity, especially through the Social Digital Basket, promoting the economic autonomy of women, where 50% of the participants of this managed to increase their income thanks to digital tools. The Central Electoral Board has been a promoter and defender of parity, increasing the participation of women in electoral boards by 11%. In the case of the Judiciary Power, sexism in rulings has been reduced and due diligence on sentences for cases of gender violence have increased. Likewise, the Unified System of Beneficiaries (SIUBEN) has played a fundamental role in the design of the national care policy, incorporating care as an central axis of social protection and producing relevant data for decision-making; and the SUPÉRATE program has achieved relevant results through its contribution to the implementation of the program “Changing gender norms for the prevention of violence, child marriage and early unions” with relevant results in this area and through a series of initiatives to promote and support the development and strengthening of women’s entrepreneurship and their economic autonomy.
The Ministry of Women and UNDP congratulated the institutions for their dedication and effort in implementing gender responsive and inclusive policy and service practices, and urged them to continue to be champions in the promotion of policies that favor equal opportunities and rights for all people, in order to leave no one behind.
