世界银行-多米尼加共和国性别评估（英）-117页_1mb

Dominican Republic Gender Assessment Summary (November 2023)

Core Content

This document presents a comprehensive gender assessment of the Dominican Republic (DR) using a lifecycle approach to identify and analyze gender gaps in endowments, economic opportunities, and agency. It highlights the persistent challenges in gender equality and offers policy recommendations to address these issues.

Main Dimensions of Gender Gaps

1. Endowments

• Health and Education Outcomes:
  • Significant disparities in health and education outcomes between girls and boys, especially in early childhood.
  • High incidence of adolescent pregnancies, which has long-term consequences for both mothers and children.
  • Poor maternal health outcomes, including high maternal mortality rates.
• Early Care and Mortality Gaps:
  • Differences in access to early care and health outcomes.
  • Gaps in primary and lower secondary education enrollment and attainment.
• Patriarchal Norms:
  • Early exposure to patriarchal social norms and gender-based violence (GBV) among children.
  • Forced child marriage is a concern, especially among girls in poverty.

2. Economic Opportunities

• Labor Force Participation:
  • Women have lower labor force participation rates than men, especially in urban areas.
  • Female unemployment is higher than male unemployment, and it is more pronounced among those with lower levels of education.
• Wage Gaps:
  • A notable gender wage gap persists across economic sectors.
  • The wage gap is particularly pronounced in certain sectors and among specific groups.
• Access to Assets and Entrepreneurship:
  • Women face barriers in accessing productive assets such as land and credit.
  • Constraints on entrepreneurship and limited access to financial services contribute to economic disparities.

3. Agency

• Decision-Making and Aspirations:
  • Women, especially in poverty, have limited agency in decision-making and are often excluded from education and employment.
  • Patriarchal norms constrain women's aspirations and limit their ability to engage in productive activities.
• Gender-Based Violence (GBV):
  • High prevalence of GBV against women, including intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence.
  • GBV against adolescent girls and pregnant women is a critical issue.
• Political Representation:
  • Women are underrepresented in political and social spheres.
  • Limited political participation is a reflection of broader gender inequality.

Key Findings

• Poverty Disparities:

  • Women experience higher poverty rates than men, especially in urban areas.
  • Women-headed households are more likely to be poor than male-headed households.
  • The poverty rate for women increased by 2.6 percentage points in 2020 compared to 2.2 for men.

• Economic Growth and Inequality:

  • Despite strong economic growth (5.7% annually from 2004-2019), poverty reduction has been slow, particularly for women.
  • The DR's poverty reduction rate is comparable to slower-growing LAC countries, suggesting that growth has not been inclusive.

• Health and Education Gaps:

  • The DR ranks poorly in international gender inequality indices (e.g., GII: 106th out of 170, MMR: 89th out of 156).
  • High rates of teenage pregnancy and maternal mortality indicate systemic challenges in reproductive health and education access.

• Impact of Gender Gaps:

  • Gender inequality has substantial economic and social costs.
  • Human capital losses due to gender inequality amounted to $185.4 billion in 2018, or 2.2% of GDP.
  • Women's potential human capital wealth could increase significantly if they had equal earnings to men.

• Demographic Dividend:

  • The DR has the potential to benefit from a demographic dividend if it reduces fertility rates and creates employment for young women.
  • A more inclusive growth strategy is essential to harness this potential.

Prioritization of Gaps

Section 2 of the document outlines the prioritization of gender gaps based on benchmarking against other LAC countries. Key indicators such as teenage pregnancy rates, labor force participation, and wage gaps are used to identify the most pressing areas for intervention.

Deep Analytical Dives

Section 3 examines specific gender gaps in detail, focusing on:

1. Violence in Schools

• Prevalence and Impact:
  • High levels of school violence, with girls more likely to be affected.
  • Violence in schools negatively impacts learning outcomes and student well-being.
• Policy Recommendations:
  • Strengthen school climate and safety measures.
  • Implement anti-violence programs and promote gender-sensitive education policies.

2. Teenage Pregnancies

• Drivers:
  • Low access to education, limited knowledge of sexual and reproductive health (SRH), and early marriage.
  • Poverty and lack of access to contraception contribute to the phenomenon.
• Policy Recommendations:
  • Expand access to SRH services.
  • Promote education and economic opportunities for adolescent girls.
  • Address early marriage and GBV through targeted interventions.

3. Female Labor Force Participation and Wage Gaps

• Labor Market Participation:
  • Women are underrepresented in the labor force and in higher-paying jobs.
  • Many women are excluded from formal employment and are concentrated in informal sectors.
• Wage Gaps:
  • Persistent wage gaps across sectors, with women earning less than men for similar work.
  • Decomposition analysis shows that these gaps are influenced by factors such as education, occupation, and firm size.
• Policy Recommendations:
  • Promote equal pay and opportunities in the labor market.
  • Support women's entrepreneurship and access to financial services.
  • Address structural barriers to women's participation in the workforce.

Key Policy Documents and Initiatives

• PLANEG III (2019-2030):
  • A national strategy for gender equality and equity, organized around six pillars: Education for Equality, Integral Health for Women, Economic Autonomy, Citizenship and Democracy, Sex-Based Violence Against Women, and Digital Technologies for Women's Autonomy.
• Supérate:
  • The DR's main poverty reduction strategy, which includes social protection programs.
• PUCMM and INFOTEP:
  • Educational institutions and training programs aimed at improving skills and opportunities for women.
• Community of Care Program:
  • A program to establish a national system of care for women and children.
• Peace Culture Protocol:
  • A policy initiative aimed at reducing GBV in schools.

Conclusion

The Dominican Republic faces significant gender gaps across the lifecycle, particularly in health, education, and economic participation. These gaps are exacerbated by patriarchal norms, limited access to resources, and structural barriers in the labor market. Addressing these issues is critical for achieving shared prosperity, maximizing poverty reduction, and realizing the country's potential for inclusive growth. The assessment provides a roadmap for prioritizing and addressing these gaps through targeted policies and programs.