Cuba makes progress in actions for the advancement of women

Cuba is proud of the progress made in the Program for the Advancement of Women (PAM), with deep transformations in favor of women's empowerment and gender equality, said Deputy Prime Minister Inés María Chapman on Sunday at the Commission for the Attention to Youth, Children and Equal Rights of Women.

The working group met as part of the activities prior to the 8th session of the National Assembly of People's Power in its 9th Legislature and analyzed the progress of the implementation of the aforementioned Presidential Decree, approved on March 8 of this year.

Chapman took the opportunity to recognize the performance of Cuban women in confronting COVID-19, and insisted on the need to unite all actors in society and multiple organizations for the advancement of women.

She made a call to articulate the plan of the economy and the State budget from the municipalities to address by priorities the problems associated with housing, to educate on these issues from childhood and strengthen the work in the most intricate areas.

Teresa Amarelle, secretary general of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), stressed that the Program is the result of many years of work and highlighted key moments such as the creation of the group of experts, the implementation of the ESPUMAS project to facilitate access to employment and the creation of spaces in social networks on gender-based violence.

She mentioned the preparation of the guide for comprehensive intervention against gender-based and intra-family violence in conditions of social isolation before the COVID-9 and the methodology for the creation of institutional protocols for the prevention of and attention to this problem.

Once the PAM was approved by the Council of Ministers, the national campaign JUNTAS por la no violencia (TOGETHER for non-violence) was presented, the 103 line extended its services to offer help and guidance to victims of violence and a map of services was drawn up with the contacts for the first attention to this phenomenon, he added.

Also, the project "Care with Equity" was launched, a collaboration agreement was signed with the Ministry of Justice for training on gender issues and the state of fertility and teenage pregnancy in the country was evaluated.

In addition, the Council of Ministers approved the Unpaid Work Project, which establishes the bases for the National System for the Integral Care of Life, the Decree Law on Working Motherhood and Family Responsibility came into force, and the agreement on the Integral Strategy for the prevention and attention to gender violence with binding character.

On the other hand, the Secretary General added, Gender Committees were created in 267 centers of 17 ministries and the Ministry of Education approved a Gender and Inclusion Strategy for Technical and Professional Education, among other aspects.

She pointed out that thanks to these advances the participation of women in employment grew from 37 percent (%) to 39%, and the female participation rate to 53, 3%; 49 thousand women were incorporated into employment in 2021, they represent 35% of those incorporated into self-employment, and they are more than 51% in State and Government positions.

On the Integral Strategy for prevention and attention to violence, Doctor of Science Clotilde Proveyer insisted on the importance of this tool that deals with the issue in an integral and integrated manner, since it contemplates awareness raising, communication and training to delegitimize sexist patriarchal conceptions existing in Cuban society today.

We cannot see it only as a law or a service to the victims, but accompanied by the preparation of those who administer justice and the culture of women's rights, she stressed.

She added that the strategy will make it possible to effectively address violence in an articulated and coherent manner, and the challenge is to ensure compliance with the mechanisms established for its monitoring and evaluation.

Mariela Castro, director of the National Center for Sex Education, referred to the profound cultural change, the positioning of values and the education of the population, essential to make these projects a reality, as well as the need to address problems and difficulties in a transparent manner.

I am very satisfied with the perfection achieved by the draft of the Family Code in its 23rd version, I am sure that in the popular consultation it will be enriched and those who voted for the Constitution of the Republic will see it reflected in it and will support it, said the director.

I consider that all these transformations demonstrate the maturity of the Cuban revolutionary process and the solidity that our system of government is acquiring, because Cuba, in the midst of adversities, has managed to advance, she added.

Arelys Santana, president of the Commission, detailed that in November of this year the work of the implementation of the PAM in 11 provinces of the nation was evaluated and transformation actions in the neighborhoods were appreciated.

In that sense, the deputy for Villa Clara, Asiel Aguada, said that in his Popular Council they have initiatives such as the teaching of self-improvement courses with the support of the House of Orientation for Women and the Family and the Peasant Workers' College, they also provide assistance from the community to the elderly in vulnerable situations and generate new sources of employment with all-women workforces.