WOMEN ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES - CUBAN STYLE

Our first meeting of today was at the national headquarters of the federation of Cuban women(FCW) , where we met with Ana Milagros Martinez, who is head of international relations.

The federation is an NGO which is the national body for the advancement of women in Cuba and involves more than 4 million women. following the 4th world UN conference, a national plan of action was adopted.

Ana outlined the main areas of work carried out by the FCW. The FCW have established a woman's study centre in Havana which offers training and education in gender studies and other subjects relating to women's issues. These are not only accessed by Cuban women but by many others throughout Latin America.

Ana spoke next about the FCW's role in the promotion of women in decision making. for example, women in parliament make up 43%, whilst 47% of the judges and 71% of all attorneys are women.

The FCW interact with other women's organisations, academia, and women in the media. They produce educational materials and publish a 3 monthly magazine for women and also one for young girls.

Another vital part of the FCW's work is community work. This is undertaken through a national system of "counselling houses" of which there are 175 throughout Cuba. These centres offer support and advice on a diverse range of issues. They are a space for women and their families, introduced in the early 1990's in response to that difficult period of time for Cubans. They offer a range of services, advice and support on domestic violence, parenting skills, HIV, sexuality and family problems.

After there was a discussion about women's role in the Scottish Socialist party and in Scottish life in general and finished with an invite from the federation for a group from the woman's network to come and visit soon !!!