Women's achievements praised at UN
News from Cuba | Wednesday, 31 July 2013
'A world reference point'
The achievements of Cuban women over the last five decades were highlighted in Geneva in July during the sessions of the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
Algerian lawyer Meriem Belmihoub-Zerdani, member of that Committee, told the Prensa Latina news agency that Cuba is a reference for the world in the struggle for gender equality.
I have visited Cuba and I have been able to verify that fact for myself, said the former fighter for the independence of Algeria.
Belmihoub-Zerdani recalled that the Caribbean island was one of the first countries to sign and ratify the Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Cuba’s report points out that, at present, women represent 65.6% of the professional and technical force, and 62.8% of university graduates. The island is also third in the world in terms of the number of women with seats in Parliament (48.36 %).
Standing out among its achievements are the protection of their reproductive and sex rights, access to health care, education, social security, employment, technical and professional training, and the capacity to elect and be elected.
