The Dominican Republic may be famous as a holiday destination, but this beautiful country, which shares an island with Haiti, is a permanent home to poverty, shocking inequality and discrimination.
Economy: on the face of it the Dominican Republic is a country doing very well – its economy is growing, and it bounced back quickly from the global financial crisis. But because of regressive tax policies and a failure to address poverty issues, the already high levels of inequality are actually getting worse. As many as 44% of the population live in poverty (ECLAC 2008).
Discrimination: there are high levels of discrimination based on race, gender and nationality. A large number of poor Haitians migrate to the Dominican Republic seeking employment. Despite the benefits they bring to the country’s economy, this has long been a source of conflict and tension between the neighbouring countries.
Environment: the regular threat of hurricanes leaves the Dominican community’s habitats and livelihoods highly vulnerable.
Our work
Our work in the Dominican Republic is concentrated in four key areas:
- Helping protect the human rights of Haitian migrants and their descendents.
- Monitoring government budgets and social spending.
- Carrying out work to prepare vulnerable communities for natural disasters like hurricanes.
- Supporting farmers with projects to help them adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Partners
Our partner Centro Montalvo is campaigning against the inefficient tax system which means the Dominican Republic loses out on millions of dollars every year that could be spent on social services like education. The campaign calls for the country’s budget for education to be increased from 2.2% to 4%, and has captured the imagination of Dominicans around the world
Since the earthquake in Haiti, the work of Dominican Partner SSID stands out as an example of Dominicans acting in solidarity with the Haitian community, despite historical differences. SSID has been providing support, shelter and essentials in two settlements camps since the earthquake struck in January 2010.
Further content
What you can do
