UNFPA and INTEC will develop socio-demographic research
Santo Domingo. The Dominican Republic is at an ideal time to invest in the development of the young population, which is the 31% of its population, according to the National Population Census 2010, and prevent it from ending up trapped in crime, in the case of males, or pregnant in adolescence, females.
This was indicated by the assistant representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Sonia Vásquez, during the first meeting with INTEC researchers to implement the agreement recently signed by both organizations to carry out sociodemographic research that will be useful to planners and decision makers
Vásquez said that the current situation is considered a "demographic bonus", because it has generations that can still be educated, employed and reinserted with a better quality of life in society, outside the poverty circle.
He also indicated that what is now an asset, that third part of the Dominican population between 10 and 24 years, will then be reflected in the increase of the aging population, because to this is added the life expectancy of Dominicans today. It is 76 years on average.
"If we do not invest now to create resources and capacities in the youth, which is the one that will contribute to social security, and the redistribution of social policies that will touch these elderly, will be a population whose weight will fall or in the families, or simply in the streets, without protection ", considered the representative of the international organization.
The agreement recently signed by UNFPA and INTEC seeks to take advantage of the university's experience in sociodemographic research in areas such as education, gender, employment, environment, migration and social security, through its research centers and services.
The rector of INTEC, Rolando Guzmán, said that the goal of the university is to carry out sociodemographic research, expand and systematize it so that decision makers can incorporate it into the processes of defining programs and public policies.
Surveys such as the Demographic and Health Survey (ENDESA), which is the country's largest database on these issues, the National Immigrant Survey (ENI), the National Multi-Purpose Household Survey (ENHOGAR), will be used for the studies. ) and the National Household Income and Expenditure Survey (ENIGH), among others, to be combined with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), so as to generate information relevant to national development.
According to Jeremy Freehill, UNFPA Program Officer, the country must take advantage of this demographic transition to invest in education, employment policies for young people and prevention of teen pregnancy.
The Vice-Rector of Research and Liaison, Julio Sánchez Maríñez, Andrea Paz, Director of Research, researchers for UNFPA Frank Báez Everst and Elba Franco, and research faculty Yolanda León, Lourdes Contreras, César Pérez, José Contreras, also participated in the meeting. Luis Vargas, Cristóbal Durán, Fabricio Mazara and Felipe Díaz, representatives of the Center for Gender Studies, the Social Research Team (EQUIS), the Center for Educational Studies, the Center for Innovation in Higher Education and the Center for Dominican-Haitian Studies, the International Trade Observatory (ODCI), the Remote Perception Laboratory, the Permanent Education Department, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, the Governance and Social Management Center and the Environmental Management Center, among others.