El Bono Mujer Benefits Women Heads of Household in the DR
In accordance with el Plan Nacional de Viviendas Familia Feliz, DR’s Minister of Women Marya Jiménez granted el Bono Mujer, or a Women’s Bonus, of a total amount of RD$1.84 million, to female heads of household in the residential area of Cumsaya in the La Romana Province. Nine women in Cumsaya received between eight and ten percent of the value of their homes as part of the bonus, which reduced the payments they owed on their households and apartments by a great amount.
El Bono Mujer is an economic stimulus designed to ensure that the most vulnerable Dominican women– including single mothers, caregivers, disabled or poor women, victims of violence, orphans of femicide, and even those abroad– have access to decent, livable housing. Through the bonus, the Ministry of Women seeks to create opportunities for more women to access housing; by easing the economic burden and making the total cost of a home more affordable, so too is the economic freedom and quality of life of Dominican women improved.
Raquel Peña, Vice President of DR, hails el Bono Mujer as a prime example of impactful public policy, stating that when a woman moves forward, the entire family moves forward with her. According to Peña’s research, 64% of the households who received el Bono are headed by women. Minister of the Presidency Joel Santos echoed Peña’s statements that el Bono represents palpable change in the lives of Dominican women, adding that it serves as a recognition of the hard work and effort of these female heads of household, who deserve the additional support el Bono grants them towards the payment of their own homes and the well-being of their families.
Jiménez met with the benefactors of el Bono Mujer after the event to discuss the importance of the project, highlighting it as a safe space free of all manners of violence as well as an avenue through which they can ensure that their households become homes.
Leah Lemus | Gender Rights CorrespondentLeah Lemus (she/her) is currently a junior at Seton Hall University majoring in International Relations, with plans to enroll in law school a year early and pursue a career in gender discrimination law. As the first-generation daughter of Cuban immigrants, her point of view has allowed her to see the blind spots in her field and community’s understanding of the overall Caribbean area’s distinct cultures and sustainability, and she has been highly interested in bridging the gap between the different perspectives for as long as she can remember. As a Gender Rights Correspondent for Latina Republic, Leah hopes to highlight the struggles as well as the triumphs of women and girls in the Latin American & Caribbean regions. In particular, she wishes to expand the existing pool of information regarding Cuban women and their efforts as advocates for change and prosperity in their communities; she strongly believes these efforts more often than not go overlooked, and is passionate about sharing their stories with the world.
