Dominican Republic is moving forward in the harmonized measurement of femicide with an inter-institutional approach

On May 29, the National Statistics Office (ONE) of the Dominican Republic hosted a working day dedicated to the socialization of the Statistical Framework for the Measurement of Feminicide (MEMF), a joint initiative of the Center of Excellence UNODC-INEGI and the ONE. The activity brought together representatives of key institutions of the country's security and justice system, including the 911 System, the National Police, the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF), the Attorney General's Office (PGR), the Center for Data Analysis and Citizen Security (CADSECI) and the Ministry of Women.

The main purpose of the session was to socialize the statistical framework among new officials, to create a possible inter-institutional coordination mechanism for the production of statistics on femicide and to update -and if necessary deepen- the information previously collected through technical questionnaires.

During the event, the Center of Excellence UNODC-INEGI and the UN Women Global Center of Excellence in Gender Statistics presented in detail the MEMF, a tool developed to guide countries in the harmonized measurement of femicide from administrative records. The presentation highlighted international recommendations regarding definitions, disaggregation variables and data flows necessary for accurate, comparable and evidence-based measurement.

In addition, the ONE shared the National Interoperability Framework, as well as the process that allows the collection and use of data from different institutional sources to feed key statistical products, such as the Yearbook of Violent and Accidental Deaths and the specialized compendiums on deaths of women in contexts of violence.

One of the central moments of the activity was the practical exercise, in which the participating institutions worked together to create a possible harmonized data flow on intentional homicides of women, incorporating the disaggregations proposed by the MEMF. This exercise made it possible to visualize the routes of collaboration between actors, the critical points in the registry and the opportunities to advance towards a more comprehensive measurement of femicide in the country.

This conference marked a key step towards strengthening national capacities to produce quality statistics on femicide in the Dominican Republic. Collaboration among participating institutions and the articulation of technical and institutional efforts are the basis for advancing towards a more integrated, gender-sensitive statistical system aligned with international standards.

The UN and the Center of Excellence UNODC-INEGI reiterated its commitment to continue providing technical assistance and support to the country in this process, with a view to consolidating a replicable model in the region that contributes to the prevention of violence against women and the formulation of evidence-based public policies.