For the Advancement of Women
During the encounter, representatives from various groups affiliated with Cuba’s Central State Administration, and the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), as well as the self-employed sector, analyzed progress being made in the fulfillment of the National Action Plan developed in the framework of the 4th World UN Conference on Women
Arianna Ceballos González | informacion@granma.cu
April 30, 2014
Regarding challenges such as stereotypes and patriarchal prejudices which still persist in our society, the need to achieve greater conciliation between women’s family and work life, as well as the urgent need to address factors which directly affect their development, such as population aging, were discussed yesterday by participants of the Bei¬jing+20 Workshop, held in Havana’s Hotel Nacional.
During the encounter, representatives from various groups affiliated with Central State Administration, and the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), as well as the self-employed sector, analyzed progress begin made in the fulfillment of the National Action Plan of the Republic of Cuba realized in the framework of the Fourth UN World Conference on Women - held in Beijing in 1995 -, where a series of objectives and measures for the advancement of women and to achieve gender equality in all spheres, were established.
FMC Secretary-General Teresa Amarelle Boué, emphasized that the plan, approved in 1997, a result of a broad and democratic debate including other governmental entities, the FMC and Cuban civil society, reaffirms the Cuban government’s commitment to women’s development.
“In our country the struggle for the advancement of women is reflected in the autonomy achieved by Cuban women (…) Women have greater opportunities for economic independence through access to paid work, and make up 48% of the state sector’s total civil workforce…
“Behind every figure, there reverberate stories; we shouldn’t let ourselves be seduced by them, but there is not doubt that they are realities which cannot be overlooked. We are conscious of the complex processes undertaken by Cuban society which have facilitated these changes, these results do not overshadow the challenges we have yet to overcome, every goal achieved signifies a new point of departure,” she emphasized.
Amarelle noted that persistent challenges include adjusting the actions outlined in the Plan … to a national and international contexts, continuing to work on transforming the mentalities of men and women in regards to their roles in society, with the aim of breaking down the sexist stereotypes which exist.
During the workshop, the National Coordinator of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Jesús Robles, highlighted that after important events, such as the First International Conference on Population and Development, which took place in Cairo, Egypt, in 1993 and the Fourth Conference, Cuba has already achieved a large portion of the strategic objectives addressed at the encounters.
“Many of the measures implemented in the second half of the 20th century in this country, such as access to education, birth control and the legalization of abortion, carried out in safe conditions and free of charge, contributed to increasing female participation in all spheres of Cuban life, and to the homogenization of social health indicators in urban and rural areas.”
He highlighted that the Cuban delegations arrived to both meetings presided by an extraordinary women, Vilma Espín, who together with the FMC spent more than three decades working to change the reality of Cuban women, not only from a material, but also ideological perspective.
“Vilma Espín constituted a vital character in the struggle for equality. As she herself used to say, the construction of a culture of equality is a fundamental element of the Cuban Revolution, which is attempting to transform the social and economic reality of the country and transform ourselves, women and men alike.
“Right now the most pressing challenges are related to sustaining our achievements and ensuring that they contribute to the construction of a stronger society,” she commented.
Arianna Ceballos González | informacion@granma.cu
April 30, 2014
Regarding challenges such as stereotypes and patriarchal prejudices which still persist in our society, the need to achieve greater conciliation between women’s family and work life, as well as the urgent need to address factors which directly affect their development, such as population aging, were discussed yesterday by participants of the Bei¬jing+20 Workshop, held in Havana’s Hotel Nacional.
During the encounter, representatives from various groups affiliated with Central State Administration, and the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), as well as the self-employed sector, analyzed progress begin made in the fulfillment of the National Action Plan of the Republic of Cuba realized in the framework of the Fourth UN World Conference on Women - held in Beijing in 1995 -, where a series of objectives and measures for the advancement of women and to achieve gender equality in all spheres, were established.
FMC Secretary-General Teresa Amarelle Boué, emphasized that the plan, approved in 1997, a result of a broad and democratic debate including other governmental entities, the FMC and Cuban civil society, reaffirms the Cuban government’s commitment to women’s development.
“In our country the struggle for the advancement of women is reflected in the autonomy achieved by Cuban women (…) Women have greater opportunities for economic independence through access to paid work, and make up 48% of the state sector’s total civil workforce…
“Behind every figure, there reverberate stories; we shouldn’t let ourselves be seduced by them, but there is not doubt that they are realities which cannot be overlooked. We are conscious of the complex processes undertaken by Cuban society which have facilitated these changes, these results do not overshadow the challenges we have yet to overcome, every goal achieved signifies a new point of departure,” she emphasized.
Amarelle noted that persistent challenges include adjusting the actions outlined in the Plan … to a national and international contexts, continuing to work on transforming the mentalities of men and women in regards to their roles in society, with the aim of breaking down the sexist stereotypes which exist.
During the workshop, the National Coordinator of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Jesús Robles, highlighted that after important events, such as the First International Conference on Population and Development, which took place in Cairo, Egypt, in 1993 and the Fourth Conference, Cuba has already achieved a large portion of the strategic objectives addressed at the encounters.
“Many of the measures implemented in the second half of the 20th century in this country, such as access to education, birth control and the legalization of abortion, carried out in safe conditions and free of charge, contributed to increasing female participation in all spheres of Cuban life, and to the homogenization of social health indicators in urban and rural areas.”
He highlighted that the Cuban delegations arrived to both meetings presided by an extraordinary women, Vilma Espín, who together with the FMC spent more than three decades working to change the reality of Cuban women, not only from a material, but also ideological perspective.
“Vilma Espín constituted a vital character in the struggle for equality. As she herself used to say, the construction of a culture of equality is a fundamental element of the Cuban Revolution, which is attempting to transform the social and economic reality of the country and transform ourselves, women and men alike.
“Right now the most pressing challenges are related to sustaining our achievements and ensuring that they contribute to the construction of a stronger society,” she commented.
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