First Lady of the Dominican Republic
{{Short description|Official title in the Dominican Republic}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = First Lady of the Dominican Republic
| flag =
| flagsize = 130
| flagcaption = Seal of the First Lady
| image = Raquel Arbaje en 2021.jpg
| incumbent = Raquel Arbaje
| incumbentsince = August 16, 2020
| residence = National Palace
| formation = {{start date and age|1844|11|14|p=1|br=1}}
| inaugural = Micaela Antonia de Rivera de Soto
| native_name = {{lang|es|Primera dama de la República Dominicana}}
}}
{{Politics of the Dominican Republic}}
First Lady of the Dominican Republic ({{Langx|es|Primera dama de la República Dominicana}}) is the title referring to the wife, or designee, of the president of the Dominican Republic.{{cite news |first=Celeste|last=Perez |title=Mujeres de poder: un recorrido por la historia de las primeras damas de la República |url=https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2020/08/26/632552/mujeres-de-poder-un-recorrido-por-la-historia-de-las-primeras-damas-de-la-republica |work=Listín Diario |date=2020-08-26 |access-date=2021-08-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228131725/https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2020/08/26/632552/mujeres-de-poder-un-recorrido-por-la-historia-de-las-primeras-damas-de-la-republica |archive-date=2021-02-28 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |first=Celeste|last=Perez |title=¿Qué es y cómo funciona el Despacho de la Primera Dama? |url=https://listindiario.com/las-sociales/2020/07/08/625388/que-es-y-como-funciona-el-despacho-de-la-primera-dama |work=Listín Diario |date=2020-07-08 |access-date=2021-07-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228071337/https://listindiario.com/las-sociales/2020/07/08/625388/que-es-y-como-funciona-el-despacho-de-la-primera-dama |archive-date=2021-02-28 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |first=Natali |last=Faxas |title=Las primeras damas, entre logros y críticas |url=https://www.elcaribe.com.do/sin-categoria/las-primeras-damas-entre-logros-criticas/ |work=El Caribe (Dominican Republic) |publisher= |date=2014-10-03 |access-date=2021-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812041741/https://www.elcaribe.com.do/sin-categoria/las-primeras-damas-entre-logros-criticas/ |archive-date=2021-08-12 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |first=Naya |last=Despradel |title=Primeras damas dominicanas 1963-1988 |url=https://www.elcaribe.com.do/sin-categoria/primeras-damas-dominicanas-19631988/ |work=El Caribe (Dominican Republic) |publisher= |date=2015-03-07 |access-date=2021-08-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813123036/https://www.elcaribe.com.do/sin-categoria/primeras-damas-dominicanas-19631988/ |archive-date=2021-08-13 |url-status=live}} The official government Office of the First Lady was created by Decree 741-00 on September 10, 2000.
The position of first lady is not a politically-mandated office, and the first lady plays no official role in the government of the Dominican Republic.{{Cite web|url=http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/DomRep/dominicanrepublic.html|title=Dominican Republic: Constitutions|website=pdba.georgetown.edu|access-date=2019-08-30}} However, like many other spouses of heads of state and of government, the first lady of the Dominican Republic is a public figure who often contributes to philanthropic causes and acts as an unofficial representative for the head of state.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dominicanrepublic.com/first-lady-of-the-dominican-republic/|title=First lady of the Dominican Republic and MESCYT allocate 500 scholarships to exemplary students|date=2014-12-12|website=Dominican Republic|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-30}} There is a government-funded Office of the First Lady, with a staff.{{cite news |first=|last=|title=First Lady of DR, Raquel Arbaje: 'a voice for those who have not had a voice' |url=https://dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2020/08/18/first-lady-of-dr-raquel-arbaje-a-voice-for-those-who-have-not-had-a-voice/ |work=Dominican Today |date=2020-08-18 |access-date=2021-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302195153/https://dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2020/08/18/first-lady-of-dr-raquel-arbaje-a-voice-for-those-who-have-not-had-a-voice/ |archive-date=2021-03-02 |url-status=live}}
Raquel Arbaje became the first lady on the election of her husband, Luis Abinader, as president in 2020.