72 UNGA: Statement by Cuba, High-Level Interactive Dialogue of G-77+China: Innovative Practices for the Financial Inclusion and Economic Empowerment of Women, Especially Rural Women: Lessons from the South”. New York, 13 March 2018.

Mr. Chairman,

My delegation is grateful to you for convening and holding this High-Level Interactive Dialogue on an issue particularly relevant to the nations that are members of the Group of 77 and China.

In the area of gender equality and women's empowerment, the first guarantee is having a juridical-legal framework without any kind of gender discrimination, which enables rural women to empower themselves as human beings in equal rights with men.

Based on the foregoing, the Cuban legal framework has resulted in more than 10,900 women to own the land and more than 20,000 women to have been granted land ownership.

Women landowners and usufructuaries have the right to apply for and obtain credit, mutually agreeing with the Bank on payback periods, which can be renegotiated in the event of any productive contingency.

Cuban rural women benefit from the articulation of alliances among different ministries of public administration, civil society organizations and the Federation of Cuban Women. There are Joint Plans and Programs through which training courses have been put in place in order to promote the advancement of rural women, achieve greater incorporation into different economic activities, as well as increased promotion at decision-making levels within the different agri-food sectors.

The Ministry of Agriculture, in particular, has set up "Gender Committees", which have enriched the vision of working with women on this matter. Accordingly, the Federation of Cuban Women and the Ministry of Agriculture have jointly implemented the IGECSA project (Gender equity quality management for food security at the local level), which has made enabled women to become more involved in employment in cooperatives.

The above examples would not have come to fruition without special attention to ensuring universal access to high-quality education and health services.

Mr. Chairman,

In our efforts to achieve full gender equality and women's empowerment, the existence of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba remains an obstacle to the country's full development and the advancement of women. It is also a form of direct and indirect violence that impacts and hinders the enjoyment of the fundamental rights of Cuban women.

We call on the international community, and in particular the Group of 77 and China, to unite in action to overcome and eliminate poverty, illiteracy and inequalities at the regional and global levels and to implement concrete plans and programs that guarantee the full autonomy of women and genuine gender equality.

Thank you very much.