Dr. Miriam Nicado García, Rector of the University of Havana and Dr. Antonio Romero Gómez, President of the “Norman Girvan” Caribbean Chair of the University of Havana, were part of the Cuban delegation that attended the Caribbean Academic Forum: “Contributions to the XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean: Moving Towards Caring Societies”, held at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus in Barbados (UWI), on March 25 and 26 of this year.
Dr. Nicado spoke at the opening session of the event to explain the role of Cuban women in the development of the country and the opportunities they have not only in the academic field, but also in the social, political and economic spheres of Cuban society. She also spoke about the legal instruments available to Cuban society for the protection of women, children and the elderly, the most vulnerable sectors in any contemporary society.
She emphasized that the Family Code, approved in July 2022 by Law No.156/2022 and ratified by popular referendum, is the most revolutionary and updated Cuban legislation in the country, for its inclusive concept of all genders and for being the most advanced legal instrument aimed at the care and protection of the most vulnerable sectors of society.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba in Barbados, Yanet Stable Cárdenas and Olga Dalmau González, Consul of Cuba in this Caribbean country, attended this first session of the forum, during which speakers also expressed experiences and initiatives of their countries.
This forum, convened by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), had the collaboration and sponsorship of the UWI Institute for Gender and Development Studies, UN Women, the International Development Research Centre of Canada (IDRC), COLMEX, the Global Alliance for Caregiving and the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD).
It aimed to deepen the dialogue on policies focused on care for social, territorial and environmental factors, in the context of the Caribbean and was part of the preparatory process for the XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, to be held in Mexico City from August 12 to 15, 2025. This regional conference will focus on: “Transformations in the political, economic, social, cultural and environmental spheres to promote the care society and gender equality” in the Caribbean region.
The Cuban delegation concluded its stay in Barbados on March 26 when they visited the Barbados Martyrs Monument, an obelisk erected to honor the victims of the terrorist act of October 6, 1976 perpetrated against the Cubana de Aviación aircraft, shot down in mid-flight in the territorial waters of this Caribbean country.