Interview with Tamara Columbié (continuation of the newsletter n.03/2011)

What strategy has been developed to increase women’s participation? How are you dealing with the issue of women’s social security?
TC: We started from the principle that the Revolution will not leave any Cuban man or woman homeless. The social welfare system is being reorganized”to ensure different and rational sustenance to those who really need it,” as President Raul Castro stated in April 2011.
A range of professions and branches of work were established. For example, Executive Order 259 provided for the award of land use rights, which has allowed tens of thousands of women the possibility of owning a plot of land. Self-employment has also been made more accessible thanks, for example, to Executive Order 278 of 30th September 2010, which stipulates paid maternity leave for self-employed women, running from six weeks before birth until twelve weeks after.
In addition, after these twelve weeks, women have the option of not returning to work until the child reaches the age of one. During this period, she will be exempt from paying taxes, and the time in question will be counted toward her fulfillment of the minimum work requirement to qualify for retirement benefits. This provides protection to new mothers, whether or not they work for the State.
There is a willingness to promote women in all areas, which can be seen in the increase in the proportion of women in the Council of State to nearly 40% and to 43.3% in Parliament. And for the first time ever in the country has a female Vice-President. The number of ministers, deputy ministers, directors, etc. has also risen. Political advancement has also moved forward, with women now accounting for about 40% of the Party’s Central Committee Members.
The Strategy for Promoting Women entails an obligation of reserving the same number of leadership positions for women as for men. The National Action Plan for Follow-up of the Beijing Conference contains a section specifically addressing this issue. Progress has also been made in the research and studies conducted on women in leadership positions. And some agencies are already applying changes as a result of those studies’ conclusions.
Among the mechanisms for encouraging women’s participation in new areas are joint plans and programs led by the FSM and the Ministries of Agriculture, Sugar and Food Industries, the National Association of Small Farmers, and more. The Cuban Network of Institutions for the Support of Rural Women, founded in 1992, has also been maintained, and the entities within the WMW’s NCB work together in this direction.

In the current climate, what is the significance of the links between Cuban women and Latin American women's movements, many of which are part of the WMW?
TC: For us, synergy between organizations has been an important goal. For example, when the first WMW Regional Meeting was held in our country, we invited the Regional Office of the Women's International Democratic Federation and CAFRA (Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action) to attend. We firmly believe that union makes us stronger and that we must support our global, regional and national struggles while remaining actively involved in social movements.
Cuban women recognize our revolution, and we are following in the footsteps of Vilma Espín. We know that we will be stronger if we join in the struggle for a better world, in which we must continue to impose women’s demands more and more. The better world we are heading toward must be an ever more feminist one.

The Philippines will soon be hosting the next WMW meeting. What are the topics that the Cuban NCB would like to discuss in-depth, in order to continue contributing to women’s emancipation?
TC: We will have more delegates there this time, so our discussions will be broader. In our NCB, we work on four action are, in alignment with our situation and our interests. At this event, a representative from the Cuban Association of Animal Production, which has done extensive work with rural women, will be present as well as a delegate from the Oscar Arnulfo Romero Working Group, which has done great work on the issue of violence against women from a Cuban perspective. It is clear that national issues are on all of our agendas. There is a lot of misrepresentation about the reality in our country. We need to explain our national processes, their impact on women, our struggle against the blockade, and to expose anti-Cuban policies. We stand in solidarity with the causes of our sisters. We will be there to give and receive solidarity.