Betty Alvarez

Country Expert on the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean — Human Rights, Gender-Based Violence & International Development Law

Summary

Dominican lawyer with extensive experience in human rights, gender-based violence (GBV), and international development, combining national legal practice with work delivered through major international organisations and donor-funded programmes (including USAID, UNAIDS and FHI360). Fluent in Spanish and English, with a strong background in human-rights and GBV programming, rule-of-law and vulnerable-population support relevant to asylum and international protection matters concerning the Dominican Republic and the wider Caribbean.

Countries of Expertise

Dominican Republic (primary); wider Caribbean — regional human-rights, gender and protection context.

Details of Country Expertise

Human-rights and development legal expertise developed through national legal practice and international-organisation / donor-funded programmes in the Dominican Republic.

Areas of expertise include:

• Human rights law and protection of vulnerable populations
• Gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response; women’s and girls’ rights
• LGBTQ+ rights and non-discrimination
• International development and donor-funded programming (USAID, UNAIDS, FHI360)
• Rule of law, access to justice and legal advisory

Professional services provided:

• Legal and human-rights research and analysis
• Review and strengthening of reports on human-rights and GBV conditions
• Advisory on protection of vulnerable groups and development programming

Experience

Dominican-qualified lawyer with roughly 15 years of professional experience spanning national legal practice and international development, including programmes with USAID, UNAIDS and FHI360 focused on human rights, gender-based violence and LGBTQ+ populations. Bilingual (Spanish/English).

Languages

Spanish (Native), English (Fluent).

Ethnic Groups

Predominantly mixed-heritage and Afro-descendant population of the Dominican Republic; the Dominico-Haitian / Haitian-descended community (a major group affected by statelessness and discrimination); and minority communities of European, Middle Eastern (Lebanese/Syrian) and Asian descent; alongside Afro-Caribbean and Indo-Caribbean communities across the wider Caribbean.

Political Groups

Opposition members and supporters; civil society activists and human rights defenders; journalists and media workers; and individuals at risk for their real or imputed political opinion.

Religious Groups

Roman Catholics (majority); Evangelical and Protestant Christians; adherents of Afro-Caribbean spiritual traditions (Dominican Vudú / “21 Divisiones”); and minority Jewish and Muslim communities.

Other Social Groups

Stateless persons and people of Haitian descent affected by denationalisation (following the 2013 Constitutional Court ruling); refugees and asylum seekers; women and girls at risk of gender-based and domestic violence; LGBTQ+ individuals; children and unaccompanied minors; and victims of human trafficking.