United Nations, New York, October 6, 2026. – Cuba denounced before the Third Committee of the 81st United Nations General Assembly that the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States compounded by the energy siege and the secondary sanctions, have a particularly serious impact on Cuba’s women and girls.
During the general debate of the theme 25, “Women’s Empowerment”, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Daylenis Moreno Guerra, affirmed that women’s empowerment is a reality built over decades through social justice policies and political will. She also reaffirmed Cuba’s commitment to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
The diplomat highlighted the wide participation of Cuban women in all areas of national life, particularly health, education, science and the legal sector, as well as their high parliamentary representation. She also stressed the legal and institutional support for gender equality through the Constitution, the Family Code and the Comprehensive Strategy for the Prevention and Treatment of Gender-based Violence and in the Family Environment.
Moreno Guerra warned that more than 32,000 pregnant women face increased risks due to shortages of medical supplies and prolonged blackouts, which make it difficult to carry out diagnostic and follow-up tests. Fuel shortages also affect transport and electricity, gas, and water services, while power outages compromise the operation of hospitals, neonatology and pediatrics wards, intensive care and surgical units, as well as school programs.
"The blockade against Cuba is criminal. It is a collective punishment of an entire people," she said, stressing that its consequences are borne disproportionately by women and girls. She reiterated that these adversities will not alter the country’s commitment to gender equality, social justice and women’s empowerment.
Cuba reaffirmed at the United Nations that it will continue to defend an international order in which all women and girls can live in dignity, free from violence and discrimination, and in which gender equality is accepted not only as a development goal, but as a moral imperative.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations