INTEC takes the first steps to obtain the Igualando RD Seal
SANTO DOMINGO- The Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), through its Center for Gender Studies (CEG-INTEC) and the Vice-rectory of Administration and Finance (VRAF), started the Intecian Equality Month with the launch of the PinPún Equaling the Beehive campaign, with which the concept of equality will be promoted and key internal actions will be deployed to obtain the Seal Matching RD.
During the first activity of the month, the Vice Chancellor of Administration and Finance of INTEC Alliet Ortega affirmed that the initiative will seek to accelerate the achievement of equality in the university, "transforming the institutional framework in its internal and external dimensions." In turn, she explained that an internal survey will be carried out, as part of the phases of the process coordinated by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), which will provide information to prepare the action plan necessary to advance to the evaluation audit granted by the Igualando RD Seal.
"Taking this step for us, as a higher education center, keeps us as a benchmark and marks a differentiating entity among the others Higher Education Institutions (IES), in addition to being the first in the country and the region. The importance of obtaining this seal for an organization is multiple, in addition to the fact that it is complemented by our Gender Center, which has been in operation for more than 30 years,” he said.
El Seal Matching RD It is an award given by the Ministry of Women of the Dominican Republic and UNDP to those companies that implement gender equality policies and practices in their organization. Until now it has only been implemented in the public and private sectors, not in universities, for which they considered that INTEC is being a benchmark.
This distinction seeks to promote significant changes in management and organizational culture to universalize egalitarian practices for the reconciliation of work, family and personal life with co-responsibility; recruitment and professional development; equal pay; inclusive communication and integrate concrete actions and policies against sexual harassment and gender violence.
In June of last year, INTEC became the first Dominican university to sign the commitment letter to start the process of the Igualando RD Seal. During the signing, the rector Julio Sánchez Mariñez, stated that INTEC has promoted gender equality since its foundation, given that the articles of incorporation were signed by three gentlemen and two ladies.
He also highlighted that the first Center for Gender Studies was founded more than 30 years ago, the most valid in the Dominican Republic and a reference in gender issues for Latin America.
As part of the internal actions to strengthen gender equality and equity, a talk was given Human Talent Management with a Gender Perspective” in which the main objectives of a Human Management department that guarantees gender equality were highlighted.
Rodrigo Jiménez, director of the Fundación Justicia y Género de Costa Rica and guest speaker, explained that the first objective is to “analyze the current situation of the policies and practices in force in the institution, to establish how they are manifested in both sex and in the power relations between them”; and the second, "propose a change of focus to seek equality in human management."
He assured that the role of the Human Management Area is "preponderant in the definition and monitoring of policies and strategies to ensure healthy labor practices, understood as those leading to avoiding discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, disability or other forms, as well as violence at work".
La Justice and Gender Foundation of Costa Rica It is an allied instance of INTEC for decades in research and training processes on gender, its purpose is to seek to improve the administration of justice from the consideration of gender approaches to human rights.
During the first activity of the INTEC Equality month, Ortega explained that the university has a gender policy to guarantee equal opportunities and the inclusion of people in the university community.
In turn, he expressed that INTEC is committed to gender equality and takes measures to address existing inequalities in the workplace both at the administrative and teaching levels. "Part of starting this process is to motivate and encourage the commitment of our collaborators, since this step only strengthens that INTEC cares about their well-being and their professional development."