Vol. 73/No. 14      April 13, 2009

The meeting, titled “Women in Cuba: Celebrating 50 years of the revolution,” was chaired by Dr. Fiona Mackay, senior lecturer at the School of Social and Political Science and convener of the Gender & Politics Research Group. The meeting was cohosted by the research group and Women of the World student society in collaboration with the Scottish Cuba Solidarity Campaign.

Amador and Chacón described the gains made by women—both as women and as workers—as a result of the revolution. Amador said that before the revolution triumphed in 1959 women were 12 percent of the workforce—8 percent in domestic service and home sewing, and 4 percent as teachers, nurses, and secretaries. Many women were forced into prostitution. Today women comprise 46 percent of the workforce and occupy 38 percent of leading posts. They represent 66 percent of skilled technicians, 64 percent of doctors, and 53 percent of university lecturers. Women’s unemployment rate is down to 1.9 percent. “A majority of internationalist volunteers are women,” Chacón noted.

“Revolution is a constant transformation,” said Amador, referring to discussions at the Eighth Congress of the FMC in Havana held March 7-8. The congress discussed the challenges ahead, including those raised by Cuban president Raúl Castro.

Addressing the closing session, he urged the 900 delegates to struggle “with more steadfastness than ever … to occupy decision-making positions in the economic, political, and social life of the country.” He stated, “It’s a shame that with all the advances made by women … they are so little represented in leadership positions.” Women are 43 percent of elected members of the National Assembly and hold more than one-third of the presidential posts at provincial level. The reorganization of several government ministries just prior to the FMC Congress saw three women appointed out of nine new ministers.

Chacón described the workplace assemblies that took place throughout the country to discuss changes to the Social Security law, which raise the retirement age to 60 for women and 65 for men from 55 and 60 respectively. The change was approved by 94 percent of the 3.4 million union members. “We are workers and the owners of the means of production,” she said. “We don’t need permission to organize a union and the government has to discuss with the unions,” Chacón said.

A lively question-and-answer session covered workers’ rights and the voluntary nature of union membership, the role of women in the revolution, and political campaigns taking on prostitution and homophobia. This was followed by nearly two hours of informal discussion with the speakers around the bookstalls and later in a nearby student bar.
 
 
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