Spanish
Santo Domingo. – The most recent National Human Rights Survey (ENDH 2024) positions the Ombudsman as the public institution with the highest level of trust for the defense of fundamental rights in the Dominican Republic. The report revealed that 57.5 % of the surveyed population places its trust in this entity, even surpassing organizations of the justice system.
One of the most significant data points from the study is the 36.9% reduction in general lack of awareness about human rights, attributed to initiatives such as La Constitución Animada and La Ruta de los Derechos, which were implemented in all provinces during the year 2024.
Regarding the knowledge of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution, the right to education was the most recognized (46.3 %), followed by health (36.2 %), food (31.1 %), and freedom (24.6 %). However, marked differences persist according to the educational level: 41.6 % of those who only have primary education face greater difficulties in identifying them, while only 25.8 % of those with higher education report that difficulty.
The study also warned about a low proportion of people who claim to know all the rights: barely 2.3 %. Likewise, it identified as vulnerable groups women (45.3 %) and people deprived of liberty (44.8 %).
Perceptions of respect for human rights
Although the rights to life and health are considered the most important (with 19.6 % and 19.4 %, respectively), the perception of respect for rights in general has worsened. The number of people who consider that their rights are not respected “at all” rose to 23.7 %, compared to 19.1 % in 2022. On the contrary, those who believe that “they are very respected” fell from 17.4 % to 8.5 %.
75.5 % of respondents perceive that the laws are not applied equally, reflecting a strong feeling of inequality in access to justice.
Recent Violations by Group
In the last 12 months, 15% of men and 9.9% of women reported having suffered more than one human rights violation. Young people aged 18 to 26 were those who most reported having experienced at least one violation (12.4%), while 80.6% of those over 60 said they had not suffered any.
In the workplace, 18.3% stated they had experienced rights violations in their workspace, this figure being higher among women (20%) than among men (16.8%).
Children's rights in the spotlight
Regarding the rights of children and adolescents, 40% of respondents believe they are not adequately respected. Gaps were highlighted in access to education, health, nutrition, and protection against maltreatment, which demonstrates both institutional progress and pending challenges.
