Position Statement of World Vision Dominican Republic

World Vision, as a Christian organization focused on the wellbeing of the most vulnerable children and working in 100 countries worldwide with over 25 years of presence in the Dominican Republic promoting the development of dozens of communities and mobilizing collective will to achieve the effective protection of children and adolescents, presents its position regarding the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child about the situation of children in the country, published in February 2015.

Background

In June 2014, World Vision Dominican Republic, as part of the team representing the Coalition of NGOs for Children, presented to the Committee on the Rights of the Child the Alternative Report on the Status of Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child during the period 2008-2014, in the framework of a working session held in Geneva, in preparation for the review of the Official Report, which in turn was presented by the Government before the Committee on January 12 and 13, 2015.  

On February 5, 2015, the Committee published its conclusions which described the problems affecting children and adolescents in the country, as well as the essence of the recommendations made by civil society organizations contained in the Alternative Report.

Context

Similar to the Committee, World Vision in Dominican Republic recognizes that the country has seen remarkable progress on many fronts: strengthening of the institutional and regulatory framework, more funding for education, the establishment of an Action Plan for the Holistic Care of Early Childhood, as well as the adoption of the National Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality and the National Development Strategy 2010-2030.

Also highlighted as important milestones during the period 2008-2014 are the constitutionalization of the rights of children, adolescents and families; the ratification of the Additional Protocol to the Convention of the Rights of Children Involved in Armed Conflicts; and the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and its Additional Protocol. 

We hope that these achievements will continue to materialize through the gradual increase in the effectiveness and full observance of the guarantees of the rights of children and adolescents living in the country, regardless of their gender, disability status, socio-economic status, phenotypic profile, national origin or citizenship status.

To advance towards these goals, it is essential that government institutions assume, within their corresponding competence, the challenges of child protection as a top priority, and allocate adequate financial resources in their budgets for the implementation of operational plans within the context of the various initiatives taken, or planned to be taken, by the Government. Moreover, they need to have the political will to make operational and effective the inter-agency coordination and the cooperation efforts for the implementation of public policies on behalf of children and adolescents.

World Vision’s Concerns

World Vision DR is concerned about the problems faced by children and adolescents in the Dominican Republic, particularly with regard to teenage criminal justice and the crisis on the right to nationality, which has created a situation of statelessness affecting mostly children and adolescents of Haitian descent, and which is incompatible with the rule of law. 

Also alarming is the persistence of various forms of violence against children and families, as well as the indicators on educational quality, maternal and child mortality, child labor, domestic work, trafficking and smuggling, commercial sexual exploitation and sexual abuse in different contexts.

Of all the serious problems affecting children and adolescents in the Dominican Republic, World Vision DR urges the Government to give prompt attention to the following seven issues as ones that have the most critical impact, many of which are being addressed by World Vision across its 12 programs that impact over 300 communities across the country.

Although our programming includes strategies that promote changes in attitudes and negative behaviors, direct provision of health and educational services, and advocacy activities for the adoption and implementation of relevant public policies, it is necessary to improve the contribution of all stakeholders, especially the Government, to strengthen these interventions and create strategic alliances between the latter and  international cooperation partners, civil society organizations and the communities themselves, which are the main stakeholders.

1. Violence against Children

According to a recent study by UNICEF , over 67.4 % of households resort to disciplinary methods based on violence, which constitutes a violation of children’s dignity and causes effects that hinder the full development of the psycho-emotional and cognitive potential of children and adolescents.

In response, World Vision develops awareness and training processes in eight provinces for the adoption of positive parenting as a strategy to generate behavioral changes and eradicate violence in homes. We have implemented methodologies such as “Channels of Hope for Protection”, “Channels of Hope for Gender”, “Celebrating Families”, and the “Stop Bullying” campaign aimed at eradicating bullying in schools. 

We also promote the participation of community stakeholders in the platform of Child Protection Advocacy Networks to provide support for children and Adolescents who are victims of violence. Those cases that can be prosecuted are referred to the authorities, whose responses are then monitored.

As the result of several community advocacy and mobilization initiatives, we have achieved the establishment of the Local Protection Board, the Directory or Municipal Office of the National Council for Children and Adolescents, in all the areas impacted by our programs. These mechanisms guarantee the protection of the rights of at least 255,606 children and adolescents living in the most vulnerable communities.

Additionally, World Vision is providing political and technical support for the adoption of The National Roadmap for the Prevention and Elimination of Violence against Children.

To further strengthen the protection system of children and adolescents, we urge the Government to implement the following actions:

a) Adopt a comprehensive law to address all forms of violence, and explicitly prohibit corporal punishment in all contexts, including the adoption of measures to raise awareness about positive, non-violent and participatory parenting.

b) Rapidly implement the working plan stated in The National Roadmap for the Prevention and Elimination of Violence against Children.

c) Increase efforts to implement the Rules for Harmonic Coexistence in Public and Private Schools and other related initiatives, and closely monitor its implementation.

d) Increase efforts to prevent and deal effectively with domestic violence and femicides; investigate all cases, prosecute alleged perpetrators, punish those convicted, and compensate and rehabilitate victims.

e) Ensure access of children to justice by providing legal support and mechanisms for confidential and secure complaints in all institutions such as schools, detention centers and hospitals.

2. Education

Although 4% of GDP is currently being allocated for public pre-college education, the priority remains spending on infrastructure. Once this phase is completed, the country will need to do more to improve the quality of teaching and learning in general, in order to achieve acceptable levels of literacy skills and mathematical reasoning.

In this context, the contribution of World Vision has been through the establishment of early learning centers and the implementation of educational support programs benefiting 4,661 children, in addition to the development of a comprehensive technical program through which 1,500 parents and guardians were trained in 2014 alone.

However, to overcome the obstacles that currently limit access to education and to mitigate the effect of the factors causing high dropout, repetition and school over-aging rates, we call on the Government to implement the following actions:

a) Ensure equal access to education at all levels, regardless of nationality and immigration status.

b) Improve the availability, accessibility and quality of education for all children and adolescents, including the adoption of quality standards of education and completion of the curriculum review, thus ensuring adequate infrastructure to guarantee a fair selection process for those applying for teaching positions, provide quality training for teachers, and allocate adequate resources.

c) Strengthen institutional capacity to manage, coordinate and supervise the educational system.

d) Strengthen measures to address the dropout rate and increase the rate of completion of secondary education.

e) Ensure that pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers receive support to continue their education and prevent their expulsion from schools, or their compulsory transfer from the morning school shift to the evening shift.

f) Ensure effective implementation of the Plan for the Holistic Care in Early Childhood in order to facilitate access to preschool education for all children, including those living in poverty.

g) Include comprehensive educational programs on human rights, gender quality and peace, as part of the plans for compulsory study.

3. Teen Pregnancy and Infant Mortality

The country has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the region . Equally worrying is the incidence of neonatal mortality rates estimated at 106 deaths per 100,000 live births . 

In response, World Vision develops training processes in dozens of communities across the country to prevent teenage pregnancy, promote breastfeeding, and provide micronutrients to infants between the ages of 0 and 5 years. In 2014 alone, 79 Health Committees were structured to operate as counseling facilities for the prevention of diseases that are referred, while the work of Primary Healthcare Units and first level health centers is monitored.

In addition, World Vision has implemented the “Channels of Hope for HIV” strategy in order to reduce the incidence of HIV in the most vulnerable communities and prevent vertical transmission. 

Given the evidence that public policies seeking to address these issues need strengthening, we call on the Government to implement the following actions: 

a) Strengthen efforts to reduce neonatal, infant and maternal mortality rates based on a human rights approach, implementing policies and programs for prevention and medical care.

b) Establish independent mechanisms to investigate cases of infant and maternal mortality, and apply legal sanctions when this happens due to negligence of medical staff.

c) Promote breastfeeding through educational campaigns and the full implementation of the Strategic Plan for Breastfeeding (2012-2016).

d) Increase efforts to reduce teen pregnancy through the implementation of the National Plan for the Prevention of Teen Pregnancy (2011-2016), allocating adequate resources and strengthening institutional coordination.

e) Increase efforts to reduce maternal mortality through the provision of adequate sexual and reproductive health services. 

f) Ensure effective implementation of the National Sexual Education Program for Children, with special attention on the prevention of early pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

g) Increase awareness in authorities, medical staff, parents, teachers, religious leaders and the general public on health issues, and sexual reproductive rights. 

4. Child Labor 

According to the latest research available, more than 304,000 children and adolescents work, of which 212,000 perform tasks that jeopardize their physical safety and their psycho-emotional and cognitive development . 

To articulate a pilot strategy that promotes the eradication of child labor, World Vision is currently conducting research in the province of Dajabón to understand the worst forms of child labor in that province, before mobilizing communities on the issue. The expectation is that this experience can be further replicated in other communities in which we have protection programs.

We therefore demand from Government the urgent implementation of the following actions: 

a) Review legislation to prohibit the employment of children less than 14 years of age, and ensure that all hazardous forms of child labor carried out by minors less than 18 years be prohibited, including domestic labor.

b) Strengthen the inspection system of the Ministry of Labor and impose effective sanctions to those who exploit and abuse children.

c) Conduct a study on the extent of child labor, particularly domestic work, and evaluate the results of the National Strategic Plan for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor, 2006-2016; review the plan and ensure that it addresses domestic child labor, and that adequate resources are allocated.

d) Increase the coverage and quality of education, and provide vocational training programs to ensure that all children and adolescents are registered and protected from the harmful effects of child labor. 

e) Ratify the Convention Nº 189 of the International Labor Organization (2011) on decent work for domestic workers. 

5. Sexual Abuse, Incest and Sexual Commercial Exploitation

According to various sources , the main tourist attraction locations have seen an alarming increase in commercial sexual exploitation of adolescents, mostly Dominicans of both sexes. In areas with less economic development, the problem also affects adolescents of Haitian origin. Even at home, in the company of relatives and other trusted members of the family and the community, children and adolescents are exposed to vulnerable conditions and at risk of becoming victims of abuse, sexual violation and incest.

Currently, this problem is being addressed by World Vision by providing support to victims and family members through the Local Protection Networks, and advocating so that government institutions responsible for protection and administering justice provide timely and appropriate responses, and prevent re-victimization. 

Moreover, this problem is being addressed through our national advocacy program by promoting the strengthening of the institutional framework and supporting interagency coordination.  

To prevent and treat these problems, we call on the Government to implement the following measures: 

a) Review legislation to set a minimum age for sexual consent in accordance with international standards and ensure that the definition of offenses relating to sexual exploitation and abuse comply with the Convention and its Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, and apply penalties that are proportionate to the gravity of crimes.

b) Collect data on child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, disaggregated by gender, age groups and geographical areas, and conduct a study on the extent of the phenomenon. 

c) Evaluate the results of the Action Plan to Eradicate Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children, and allocate adequate resources for its effective implementation.

d) Ensure adequate quality services and resources to protect, compensate and rehabilitate children victims of abuse and exploitation, and facilitate their access to justice. 

e) Provide training for judges, lawyers, prosecutors, police and other relevant officials on how gender stereotypes affect the rights of girls to have a fair trial in cases of sexual violence. 

f) Raise awareness to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation, and fight against stigmatization of victims, especially when the alleged perpetrator is a family member.

g) Ensure the implementation of the agreement with the tourism industry for the prevention of child sex tourism. 

h) Strengthen international cooperation against child sex tourism for its prevention and prosecution. 

6. Criminal Justice for Adolescents

The reform of the Code for the Protection of Children and Adolescents in 2013 (Law 136-03) was limited to toughen custodial measures and adopt other regressive measures, but no new initiatives were included to strengthen crime prevention strategies and comprehensive training programs, as well as social reintegration measures for adolescents in conflict with the law.  

World Vision accompanied the Children and Youth Movement in implementing an advocacy plan to prevent modification of Law 136-03 on the terms proposed, as it would constitute a re-victimization of adolescents who already suffer a structural violence that puts them at risk of poverty and exclusion.

In this context, we call upon the Government to implement the following: 

a) Apply an effective system of alternative measures to imprisonment and ensure that detention is used only as a last resort and for the shortest possible period; also, make sure that adolescents are not held in custody beyond legal time limits. 

b) Ensure that conditions of detention comply with international standards, and guarantee access to services and protection of adolescent rights to education and health. Prohibit the use of solitary confinement and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

7. Discrimination

Although in general the country tends to be a multicultural nation, in certain contexts there are expressions of structural discrimination that affect the most vulnerable in terms of their socio-economic conditions, phenotype, gender, age cycle, and nationality. World Vision, committed to eradicating this scourge, works in dozens of communities to train families, community leaders and public officials on human rights issues. During 2014, more than 10,000 leaders of faith-based organizations were trained in spiritual nourishment programs and actively participated in activities on behalf of the most vulnerable children and adolescents.

World Vision worked with other civil society organizations to ensure the Government adopted Law 169-14 , which aims to support more than 75,240 children and adolescents subjected to the risk of statelessness due to court ruling 168-13 issued by the Dominican Constitutional Court, or for not been duly registered in the Book of Foreigners, as indicated by the general migration law.

To move in this direction, we call upon the Government to implement the following: 

a) Increase efforts to eliminate patriarchal attitudes and gender stereotypes that harm women and girls. These efforts should be especially directed towards the media and the tourism sector.

b) Ensure that professionals working with/for children, students, media and the general public are made aware of the negative impact of such stereotypes and discriminatory attitudes towards the enjoyment of children’s rights.

World Vision in Dominican Republic, as a Christian organization focused on promoting the wellbeing of children and vulnerable adolescents, will continue supporting communities and promoting their participation in decision-making processes that affect their lives, as well as collaborating with the Government to adopt progressive improvement measures in public policies, seeking to provide holistic care for early childhood and strengthening the National Protection System.

In concluding this statement, we want to encourage all sensitive actors to work together, assuming as a shared challenge the strengthening of the rule of law, the reduction of conditions of inequality, and the effective protection of the rights of all children and adolescents. The cause that brings us together is huge, but God is with us.

March, 2015.