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A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 10 OcTOber 2017

Commemoration in Havana of 40 Years of Advancement of Women’s
Equality and Rights in the Region with a Focus on Pending Challenges

-Miguel Díaz-Canel Ber- tion, there are 118 women
múdez, First Vice President unable to rise above the
of the Councils of State and poverty line,” she said.
Ministers of Cuba, and Ali- Moreover, nearly one third
cia Bárcena, ECLAC’s Ex- of Latin American women
ecutive Secretary, led the (29%) do not manage to
inauguration of the Fifty- generate income and are
Sixth Meeting of the Presid- economically dependent,
ing Officers of the Regional and nearly half have no
Conference on Women. ties to the labor market.
This is further compounded
HAVANA, CUBA - Govern- by challenges related to
ment authorities, interna- the wage gap, violence
tional officials and repre- against women and re-
sentatives of civil society spect for sexual and repro-
in Havana, Cuba today ductive rights, among oth-
looked back on the poli- ers.
cies in favor of gender “When we speak of not
equality and women’s leaving anyone behind,
rights implemented over Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Vice President of the Councils of State and Ministers of Cuba let us be clear. Those who
the past 40 years in the (4th from left), and Alicia Bárcena, ECLAC’s Executive Secretary (3rd from left), lead the inaugu- lag behind today look like
ration of the Fifty-Sixth Meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Women.
countries of Latin America a young woman, with little
and the Caribbean, which and of Ministers; Alicia tributed to the country’s 2000 became known as education, rural, prob-
make up the Regional Bárcena, Executive Sec- development and culture the Regional Conference ably indigenous or Afro-
Gender Agenda, and de- retary of ECLAC; Mariella of rights expansion. on Women in Latin Amer- descendent and kept
bated the main challeng- Mazzotti, Director of the Alicia Bárcena said that ica and the Caribbean – from exercising her sexual
es that lie ahead. National Women’s Institute “Forty years ago, here in “as a meeting place, for and reproductive rights,”
This Thursday, October 5, (INMUJERES) of Uruguay, in Havana, we started the dialogue and agreement Bárcena stated. During the
the Fifty-Sixth Meeting of her capacity as Chair of first crucial chapter of our among different stake- meeting, special attention
the Presiding Officers of the Presiding Officers of the history. In June 1977, this holders,” characterized by was given to the Monte-
the Regional Conference Regional Conference on country hosted the First “continuity” and “innova- video Strategy for Imple-
on Women in Latin Amer- Women; and Teresa Amar- Regional Conference on tion.” Concern for gender mentation of the Regional
ica and the Caribbean alle, Member of the Coun- the Integration of Women equality and women’s Gender Agenda within
was inaugurated at the cil of State and Secretary in the Economic and So- rights has remained con- the Sustainable Develop-
Hotel Nacional de Cuba. General of the Federation cial Development of Latin stant throughout the pro- ment Framework by 2030,
It was organized by the of Cuban Women. America, a turning point in cesses of development, approved at the XIII Con-
Economic Commission Miguel Díaz-Canel Ber- the work for women’s rights she said, but the approach ference in 2016, as a road-
for Latin America and the múdez welcomed those and gender equality under to gender injustice has un- map for advancement
Caribbean (ECLAC) and present, underscoring the the leadership of Vilma Es- dergone innovation, giving towards equality, sustain-
the government of Cuba, Cuban government’s long pín.” shape to the three autono- ability and the full guar-
through the Federation of history of commitment to The Executive Secretary mies of women: economic, antee of rights. “The Strat-
Cuban Women. gender equality, the cen- began her remarks by ex- physical and in decision- egy is a tool for planning
The ceremony was led by tral role it has played in the pressing ECLAC’s solidar- making. in complex and uncertain
Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermú- political project of the Cu- ity with the Cuban govern- In these 40 years, the Re- scenarios, to overcome
dez, First Vice President of ban revolution and the firm ment and people over the gional Conference has be- obstacles that limit the
Cuba’s Councils of State foundations this has con- devastating effects caused come a space for the con- scope of public policies,”
recently by Hurricane Irma ceptual development of Bárcena summed up. At
on the island. femicide (which has been the meeting – which ends
Mariella Mazzotti empha- included in laws or criminal Friday and was attended
sized that “the collective code reforms in at least 16 by female ministers and
process represented by the countries of the region), senior authorities from
Regional Conference on as well as for the establish- mechanisms for women’s
Women enabled approval ment of dependents’ right advancement, interna-
of the Montevideo Strat- to care under the para- tional officials and repre-
egy and its transformation digm of co-responsibility, sentatives of civil society
into a political-technical she sustained. – homage was paid to
instrument that recognizes However, “today, in the Vilma Espín, the first Presi-
the structural gaps of in- 21st century, poverty on our dent of the Federation of
equality.” continent still has the face Cuban Women and Presi-
Bárcena described the of a woman, given that for dent of the First Regional
Conference – which in every 100 men in this condi- Conference.q