Santo Domingo. – The Ministry of Women issued, this Thursday, a series of recommendations to establish in the modification to Law No. 15-19, of the Electoral Regime, among which the inclusion, definition and sanction of political violence against women is highlighted. within the electoral administrative infractions.
Said paragraph would be understood as any action aimed at undermining or annulling, directly or indirectly, the recognition, enjoyment or exercise of the political and electoral rights of women through the performance or promotion of acts, conduct or omissions that constitute forms of violence. gender based.
“If they do not have a specific legal device that defines and punishes political violence, women face different obstacles to access popularly elected positions under equal conditions,” said the Minister for Women, Mayra Jiménez through a press release.
Among another of the body’s suggestions for the aforementioned piece of legislation, there is gender parity, with a view to ensuring gender equality and equity, contained in article 39, a fundamental premise to move towards a democratic, social and legal State. .
“It is essential to ensure parity in line with the Constitution, which requires the powers of the State to promote and guarantee the balanced participation of women and men in candidacies for popularly elected positions for management and decision-making bodies in the field public, in the administration of justice and in the control organisms”, said Jiménez.
In this order, it recommended including a specific article on gender parity in which it is clearly established that the form and mechanisms for choosing candidates for popularly elected positions, as well as the permanence and vacancy of said positions.
Another consideration is to respect at all times the principle of gender parity, fifty percent (50%) of women and fifty percent (50%) of men, in all demarcations and that administrative civil responsibility be established non-observance of this. Parity must be applied vertically and horizontally in the presentation of candidacies by political parties, groups and movements.
“It is important to reiterate what has already been determined by the Constitutional Court and by the Superior Electoral Court: the application of the gender quota must be observed in each electoral demarcation; not in the national proposal of each party. The contrary would constitute a violation of the principle of progressivity, the right to political participation of women and the right to equality and gender equity », he specified.
On the other hand, it suggested incorporating into the propaganda prohibited in the pre- and electoral campaign the disclosure or dissemination of images, messages or information, by any physical or virtual means, that transmit and/or reproduce gender stereotypes based on relations of domination, inequality and discrimination against women.
Lastly, he recommended reducing the ceilings on campaign spending and establishing explicit control mechanisms for these. In addition, specify that the investment of State resources to support candidacies for popularly elected positions throughout the national territory must be distributed according to gender parity. Ensure that the gender equality and equity approach is explicit in the entire text of the amendment to the Organic Law of the Electoral Regime.
Mayra Jiménez explained that among the multiple barriers that limit women to compete under equal conditions is the high cost of candidacies, which discourages them in the electoral process, to sustain themselves in the process or repeat in subsequent contests.
By virtue of the foregoing, the Ministry of Women will request a meeting to the special commission of the Chamber of Deputies responsible for the modification of the Organic Law of the Electoral Regime No. 15-19, in order to present the recommendations.
