SARA AI assistant helps protect women and girls from violence in the Dominican Republic

From left to right: Jesica Croce, Director of Prevention and Attention to Violence of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs; Jesús María Feliz, Vice Minister of Interior Security; Inka Mattilla, UNDP Resident Representative in Dominican Republic; Mayra Jiménez, Minister of Women’s Affairs; Rebecca Latorraca, USAID Director in Dominican Republic; Daris Mercedes Sánchez, Vice Minister of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs; Celeste Yanet Jiménez, Director of Attention to Women and Domestic Violence of the National Police.

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs presented the SARA AI assistant designed with support of the InfoSegura Regional Project that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) implements in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This artificial intelligence-driven tool enhances the efficiency of the protection and prevention system for victims of domestic violence in the Dominican Republic.

The AI Assistant operates 24/7 providing guidance for women victims of gender-based violence and intrafamily violence, as well as information on prevention and care services offered at Safe Houses, Legal and Psychological Counselling and the *212 hotline.

“Gender-based violence affects women of all ages, socioeconomic levels and from all walks of life, and despite its high prevalence, the percentage of reports is low due to a variety of factors like gender stereotypes, naturalization of violence against women and girls and unawareness of the mechanisms to file a complaint.” 

Rebecca Latorraca, USAID Mission Director in the Dominican Republic.

SARA is housed on the Ministry of Women’s Affairs website and operates online using smart algorithms to adapt its answers and provide support in each situation in a natural way, simulating a chat with a friend. It can be accessed from any electronic device. The tool is linked to services provided by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and other institutions in the protection system.

"SARA is a new and innovative way of providing information to victims of gender-based violence, leveraging the opportunities afforded us by technology to reach individuals who, for any number of reasons, whether due to access or privacy issues, are unable to get information or seek help by regular means. UNDP and InfoSegura are really pleased to have accompanied the process of integrating this tool to the protection system in the Dominican Republic."

Inka Mattila, UNDP Resident Representative in the Dominican Republic.

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs thanked the InfoSegura Regional Project for helping to bring this initiative to life. It is expected to have a significant impact on reducing violence against Dominican women, using new technologies to provide an accessible and reliable resource to bring violence prevention and support services closer to the population.