Population size:
71, 808 [1]
Number of people experiencing domestic abuse each year:
A Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), noted that Dominica had not submitted reports to its research directorate. There is a lack of information about the number of cases in Dominica.[2]
No research on male victims or other gender identities.
Cost of domestic abuse to the economy each year:
No research.
Estimated % change due to COVID-19:
No research.
Current law and policy:
Domestic violence legislation is covered by the 2001 Protection Against Domestic Violence Act. Currently, there are no specific laws criminalising spousal abuse, nor does it appear to be on the books despite lobbying, but spouses can bring domestic battery charges against their partners. Dominica law also allows abused persons to appear before a magistrate without an attorney and request a protective order. There are issues regarding enforcement, delays in the court, and a lack of capacity to effectively respond to breach of Protection Orders. There is also low public awareness surrounding issues of domestic violence despite police being inclined to prosecute and protect cases brought to them. Attempts to implement a multi-sectoral strategy to domestic violence based on research carried out among various agencies have thus far not been successful.
Frontline Services:
Lifeline Ministries - https://www.lifelinedominica.org/ - lifelinedominica@hotmail.com
Dominica National Council of women - http://www.ngocaribbean.org/dominica-national-council-of-women/ - dncw@cwdom.dm
Sources
[1] The World Bank, (1).
Further Reading
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