Paris, 9 March 2026 — The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Cuba to UNESCO, María del Carmen Herrera Caseiro, spoke at the high-level event organized by UNESCO on the occasion of International Women's Day, where she denounced the impact of the tightening of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the Government of the United States on the country's development, with particularly severe effects on women and girls.
This high-level event is part of UNESCO's efforts to make gender equality a cross-cutting global priority, addressing key issues such as access to knowledge, full participation in scientific and cultural life, and the guarantee of rights in both physical and digital environments.
In her remarks, the Cuban Ambassador stressed that, despite progress achieved, gender equality remains an outstanding goal at the international level, requiring urgent, sustained and coordinated action. She also recognized UNESCO's role in promoting inclusive policies and addressing the structural causes of inequality.
The representative of Cuba highlighted the country's progress in promoting the rights of women and girls, underpinned by comprehensive public policies and a strengthened legal framework, including the 2019 Constitution, the National Programme for the Advancement of Women and the Families Code.
She also shared data reflecting progress in gender equality in the country, particularly in sectors of UNESCO's concern.
Ambassador Herrera Caseiro denounced the blockade imposed by the United States as the main impediment to the country's development. She noted that this web of unilateral coercive measures, exacerbated by the energy stranglehold imposed on Cuba, affects the population's access to the most essential resources and services, with a particular impact on women and girls.
The event, held on 9 March 2026 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, brought together representatives of Member States, senior officials of the Organization and relevant actors of the multilateral system, as part of the official commemorations of International Women's Day under the theme "Rights. Justice. Action. For all women and girls."
Cuba's intervention reaffirmed the country's commitment to building an increasingly just and inclusive society, in which women and girls continue to play a leading role under conditions of equality.
Below is the full text of the intervention:
Director-General,
Excellencies, distinguished colleagues:
We thank you for convening this important event, whose central theme — "Rights. Justice. Action. For all women and girls" — invites us to reflect in a manner that is not only timely and necessary, but also urgent. In an international context fraught with challenges, the achievement of gender equality constitutes one of the most pressing, because despite some progress, inequality and exclusion persist in the world.
Thirty years after the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, it is unacceptable that gender equality remains an unfinished goal. This reality confirms the inescapable need to join forces in order to meet these commitments. It is a matter of justice, which requires political will, cooperation and the concerted action of all.
In this context, we commend the work of UNESCO, which has made gender equality a global priority and demonstrated a serious commitment to the issue.
Cuba has made steady progress in promoting the rights of women and girls, in keeping with the principles of social justice, equity and human dignity that form the foundation of our social project.
Cuba was the first country to sign, and the second to ratify, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and faithful to this commitment, it has never ceased to take action to materialize it.
With the adoption of the new Constitution of the Republic in 2019, a broad process of strengthening the legal and institutional framework has taken place, incorporating a deep, intersectoral and cross-cutting gender perspective. Of transcendental importance have been the approval and implementation of the National Programme for the Advancement of Women; the Families Code; and the Code on Children, Adolescents and Youth.
Cuban women represent 57.7% of the national parliament, more than 63.0% of higher education graduates, and 56% of researchers. They constitute nearly 50% of leaders, more than 66% of the country's technicians and professionals, and more than 80% of professors, teachers and scientists, to cite just a few examples.
Sustained public policies and the ongoing commitment of the Cuban Government have made these advances possible, despite the devastating impact of the tightening of the blockade imposed by the United States Government against Cuba, which represents the main obstacle to the country's development and very severely affects the Cuban people, especially women and girls.
Nevertheless, Cuba will not relent in its effort to continue building an increasingly just and inclusive society, in which women and girls continue to be protagonists on an equal footing.
Thank you very much.