International Women's Day (March 8, 2009)

Tomorrow is the internationally-celebrated “Women’s Day” (in the midst of Women’s History Month), and many groups in Cuba have officially recognized the date. In fact, Cuba’s delegation to the World Baseball Classic has already sent word to the island that they will dedicate a win in their game on Sunday to the nation’s women.

Meanwhile, the Federación de Mujeres Cubanas (FMC; the Federation of Cuban Women), a group that has worked since 1960 on achieving equal opportunity and equal rights for women in the country, plans to hold its 8th congress tomorrow. At the meeting they will discuss the group’s level of international engagement—they have long-running relationships and projects with United Nations agencies and with several countries—as well as the general trend of female involvement in the Cuban economy.

On this latter point: reports from Cuba show that women are 46% of the labor force on the island, and female unemployment is a mere 1.9%. Both figures are impressive, especially when compared to data from other countries in Latin America. For example, according to the Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), 41% of Brazil’s workforce is female, 39% of Mexico’s, and 35% of El Salvador’s.

Over 600 mujeres cubanas are expected at the Congress tomorrow.