Guide to address gender violence presents the experience of local networks

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.- The Center for Gender Studies of Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (CEG-INTEC) and Philip Morris Dominicana (PMDO) put into circulation a guide to guide people against domestic violence and against women in order to help develop and strengthen the organizational work of local networks for prevention and attention to that social problem.

The publication "Local Networks for a Life without Violence: A Guide for its Organization and Consolidation", by Isaura Cotes Javier, constitutes a contribution to make more efficient the work aimed at prevention, timely detection, notification, registration and attention Comprehensive violence due to gender. In addition, it establishes the procedures that allow the construction of a comprehensive care system, with the interest of supporting people who can not overcome the problem on their own.

The guide gathers the experiences of five local networks in Santo Domingo Norte and Santo Domingo Este, in the Santo Domingo Province; in Azua and in San Pedro de Macorís. These networks were articulated thanks to the alliance and cooperation between the Center for Gender Studies and the Philip Morris Dominicana company. They group key actors of the system of protection against violence: state institutions (health sector, justice), community organizations, civil society and the media.

The networks are articulated in the municipalities of Guerra, Santo Domingo Norte and Santo Domingo Este, in the Santo Domingo Province; in Azua and in San Pedro de Macorís. Currently, efforts are being made to coordinate and articulate the problem in the municipality of Santo Domingo Oeste.

Cotes Javier, a member of the Center for Gender Studies of INTEC and one of the leaders in the process of creating the networks, recognized the efforts of women, men and young people who dedicate a large part of their energies and time from different parts of the country. to face the violence that lives in their communities and that rely on the value of solidarity and collective work.

At the same time he exhorted to use the publication in a creative way, since "it is a flexible tool, not a magic recipe, that has to be validated, enriched and overcome based on the experiences and needs of the people and instances that make up networks, and especially women, in their efforts to live a full and happy life, "he said.

Lourdes Contreras, director of the CEG - INTEC, highlighted the publication as "a valuable work tool that gathers the experience and points to the" how "to respond to gender violence in an articulated manner". He affirmed that this consideration is based on the fact that "a public policy that penalizes this form of violence only has acceptance capacity when the collective response to gender nonviolence has been assumed as part of a culture."

In the same way, CEG-INTEC thanked the company Philip Morris Dominicana the auspices of the publication, which will serve as support to community representatives and state agencies of the different municipalities and provinces where the networks have been constituted or have to be constituted local.

Contreras highlighted that "Philip Morris Dominicana is one of the main backs to INTEC for the institutional strengthening and combat of gender violence in neighborhoods, municipalities, and provinces of our country. The work with the members of the networks sensitizes through training on violence against women, child abuse and dismantling of the aggressor masculinity.

Manuel Cabral F., Director of Corporate Affairs of PMDO, reiterated the commitment that this company has through its corporate social responsibility programs with the country. Similarly, he stressed that "from the 2009, combating all forms of gender and intrafamily violence in the country has been one of our main axes at the level of social responsibility and we are excited to continue collaborating with the CEG-INTEC in this constant battle "He emphasized.

The guide is available through the Center for Gender Studies of INTEC, in bookstores and through different local networks.