III. Main areas of concern and recommendations
B. General principles (arts. 2, 3, 6 and 12)
Non-discrimination
17. While noting as positive the criminalization of discrimination and the adoption of some relevant policies, such as the National Gender Equality and Equity Plan (2007-2017), the Committee remains concerned about:
(d) Continuous discrimination and/or violence against children with disabilities, children living with HIV/AIDS, children in marginalized urban and rural areas, children in street situations, lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender and intersex children and children from disadvantaged and marginalized communities.
18. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Urgently address discrimination against children, including by allocating adequate resources to implementing existing policies, adopting further strategies and devising indicators, and setting up a monitoring mechanism;
(b) Provide child-friendly complaint mechanisms in educational establishments, health centres, juvenile detention centres, alternative care institutions and any other settings and ensure that all discriminatory acts are sanctioned in accordance with the Criminal Code;
(c) Increase efforts to eliminate patriarchal attitudes and gender stereotypes that discriminate against women and girls. The media and the tourism sector should be particularly targeted;
(d) Ensure that professionals working with and for children, students, the media and the general public are sensitized to the negative impact of such stereotypes and discriminatory attitudes on children’s enjoyment of their rights.
Link to full text of the report: Concluding Observations-CRC-Dominican Republic-2015-eng