Ms. President,
Two years after the Fourth World Conference on Women, Cuba adopted, by agreement of the Council of State, the National Plan of Action for the Follow-up to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which recognizes the responsibility of the Cuban State in the implementation of its actions, with the participation of all agencies and the contribution of non-governmental organizations.
The National Plan has been systematically evaluated during the 24 years of its implementation. In 2021, a new government Program was approved and published as a Presidential Decree in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Cuba, which integrated in a single document the actions that correspond to the principles and postulates recognized in the Constitution, the updating of the economic and social development model until 2030, and the international commitments undertaken.
It is based on the recognition of the human rights of women and promotes equality of rights, opportunities and possibilities. It is conceived as a roadmap of the Cuban State and Government, with the participation of the Federation of Cuban Women as the National Mechanism for the Advancement of Women.
Seven areas of special attention and 46 measures guarantee the commitment of the Cuban State to the development of policies and programs in favor of women, giving continuity to the promotion and development of gender equality in the country. The improvement of the regulatory and legal framework for the treatment and attention provided to gender violence, and the collection of statistics are areas in which greater results have been achieved at the final stage.
From the proclamation of the Constitution of the Republic in 2019 until December 2024, 165 higher-ranking legal standards have been approved, some of them of special relevance for gender equality.
The approval of the Integral Strategy for Prevention and Attention to Gender Violence and in the Family Scenario and other specific regulations that address the issue of violence, such as the Criminal Code, the Procedural Code, and the Family Code, show the political will of the State and the Government to fight this scourge.
The publication of the website Observatorio de Cuba Sobre Igualdad de Género (Cuban Observatory on Gender Equality) provides reliable and disaggregated information, enables the possibility of visualizing the existing gender inequalities in society, and contributes to informed decision-making on gender equality policies.
The Federation of Cuban Women, as a national mechanism, establishes work alliances with ministries, institutions and other civil society organizations, which has made it possible to develop specific programs for the protection of women and to achieve majority participation in the sectors represented in Cuban society today.
Cuba's achievements in the areas of social protection, equal opportunities, and policies and programs for the advancement of women are the basis of and strengthen an eminently preventive social structure and fabric for combating discrimination.
Thank you