Vol. 72/No. 13      March 31, 2008

The event was sponsored by the Latino Honor Society and the Young Socialists. Chairing the event was Mary Paz, vice president of the Latino Honor Society, and Tom Baumann from the YS.

Founded in 1960, the FMC is a mass organization that advances women’s rights in Cuba. Carcaño described the lack of social and economic equality in Cuba prior to the revolutionary triumph in 1959, as well as some of the concrete gains women have since made, such as access to health care, child care, and education. “The revolution made it possible for all women to be included in the social transformation on a mass scale,” she stated. Prior to the revolution only 12 percent of Cuban women were in the workforce. Today women comprise 46 percent of the Cuban labor force, Carcaño noted.

The FMC leaders had traveled to New York to attend the February 25-March 7 meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

“Our revolution made it possible to have access to science and particularly medicine,” said González, pointing out that there are 71,000 doctors in Cuba today. More than 40,000 of them are women and many are young women. In addition, 37,000 Cuban doctors are doing solidarity work abroad. Carcaño pointed out that 43.6 percent of the Cuban parliament is female, including one 18-year-old woman.

Carcaño also explained the importance of the international solidarity work of the FMC. Representatives of the FMC, she said, participated in delegations to a number of Latin American countries, including Colombia, Bolivia, and Puerto Rico, to meet with women’s organizations there on the question of women’s rights. She also mentioned that they’ve been fighting for the right of the wives of two of the Cuban Five to be able to see their husbands. Washington has refused to grant them visas. The five are political prisoners incarcerated in the United States for the past 10 years on frame-up conspiracy charges.

Responding to a question about whether the FMC’s association with the government has limited its work, Carcaño explained, “Our people can discuss what’s right and wrong in society. Democratic participation of the Cuban people is guaranteed. The FMC has a program to support the institutions of the state and is dedicated to advances of women. In this context we have different opinions, discussions, and debate.” She also said that there is an “overall consciousness in Cuban society that women have an important role to play.”

On March 7 the FMC leaders also spoke at a citywide public meeting at John Jay College. The event, which drew 100 people, was sponsored by a number of political groups in the city active in defending the Cuban Revolution.
 
 
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