Teacher preparation for gender-sensitive education in the Dominican Republic: A qualitative analysis

Currently, gender equity in education is a global challenge that has been addressed in various regulatory frameworks, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN Millennium Declaration. Despite these advances, structural barriers persist in the Dominican Republic, hindering the integration of the gender perspective into the education system, particularly in teacher training. This study analyzes the current state of teacher training in gender-sensitive education, identifying the main obstacles to its implementation and proposing strategies to strengthen it. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through interviews, surveys, and classroom observations, allowing the identification of three key factors: lack of specific training, sociocultural resistance, and the scarcity of educational materials with a gender perspective. The findings highlight the need to design structured teacher training programs, incorporate gender equity content into curricula, and develop institutional strategies to reduce the educational gap. It is concluded that strengthening teacher preparation is essential to ensure a more inclusive and equitable education from the early levels of schooling.