Women's participation grows in Cuba
Friday, March 9, 2007

Revolution and liberation

This article first appeared on March 7 in Cuba's Granma.

"Cuba has a lot to show the world on March 8, International Women's Day, in the widespread participation of women in all spheres of political, economic, cultural and social life on the island," Yolanda Ferrer Gomez, general secretary of the Cuban Women's Federation told Granma.

A few simple statistics speak for themselves. In Cuba, women make up 46 percent of the workforce in the state civil

sector, 66.1 percent in the category of technicians and professionals, 48.9 percent of researchers, 63.3 percent of university graduates, 56 percent of doctors and 52.3 percent of healthcare personnel working on missions abroad. A total of 71 percent of district attorneys and 36 percent of parliament members are also women.

"Reaching gender equality has been a goal in Cuba since 1959 and policies and programs were implemented to promote the advancement of women so they can fully exercise their rights in the socialist society being built in the country," said Ferrer.

"We are aware that we have important challenges ahead and that the accomplishments to date serve as a starting point to advance towards other goals," said Ferrer. "It's about eradicating all traces of discrimination, a battle that as our commander in chief would say, must be fought by the entire society led by the Communist Party, and in which the Cuban Women's Federation plays a decisive role," she added.

"The intelligence, commitment and revolutionary spirit of Cuban women has been tested time and time again during these 48 years in which the country has faced an economic blockade and all types of aggression from the United States government. It has been a battle we have won and will continue winning," said Ferrer.

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