New York, 14 March 2018. Today Cuba addressed the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CWS), which takes place from 12 to 23 March this year under the theme: "Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls", where proudly announced that, after the recently concluded general elections in Cuba, the presence of women in the National Assembly amounts to 53.22%, being the second parliament with largest female representation in the world.
The Permanent Representative of Cuba to the UN, Ambassador Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo, expressed that for Cuba attention to rural areas is a priority, in a way to avoid any kind of gender discrimination in the Cuban legal framework, which prevents rural women from empowering themselves as human beings in equal rights with men, including by guaranteeing access to land ownership within the Cuban Constitution. She stressed that the island has granted land ownership, with full access to credit, technical assistance and other opportunities to more than 20,000 women.
The diplomat also pointed out that Cuban rural women show unquestionable advances in education, health, and that they have sexual and reproductive rights, family planning services and advanced Law on Maternity Care that makes it possible to enjoy prepartum and postpartum leave until the child reaches one year of age, to which any partner is entitled and which has been recently extended to working grandparents as well.
Rodriguez Camejo denounced the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba, which represents an obstacle to the full development of the country, the advancement of women and is also a form of direct and indirect violence that impacts and hinders the enjoyment of the fundamental rights of Cuban women, particularly rural women. In like manner, she highlighted that despite the blockade, the progress made by Cuban women, and in particular rural women, shows the Cuban Government's commitment to rigorously observe the international and regional conventions and agreements in favor of women.
She also recalled the words of our President Raúl Castro Ruz at the September 2015 Global Leaders’ Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment held at this venue, when he expressed: “In order to advance toward the full realization of gender equality and the empowerment of women, it is necessary above all to have a more equitable and just international order that eradicates poverty and hunger, puts an end to war conflicts, favors human beings above capital and preserves the environment.”.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations.