Cuba updates statistics on gender equality in the country

HAVANA, Cuba, Jul 8 (ACN) Cuban National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI by its Spanish acronym) and the Cuban Women Federation (FMC by its Spanish acronym) presented today the update of the Cuban Observatory on Gender Equality (OCIG by its Spanish acronym), a key tool for monitoring progress and challenges in gender equality in the country.

This update incorporates a population interface for 2024 and a provincial and municipal dashboard with data since 2013, allowing for a detailed and territorial analysis of the situation of Cuban women.

Anays Montequin Jimenez, ONEI expert on gender issues, explained that the OCIG has 33 indicators, of which 21 have been updated, representing 63.6 %.

Among the areas of special attention are economic empowerment, the media, education and prevention, access to decision-making, legislation and protection against discrimination and violence, as well as sexual and reproductive health.

Montequin Jimenez noted that the indicators reflect important social realities, such as the fact that three out of 10 women are dedicated exclusively to unpaid domestic work, with a slight increase in 2024, especially in rural areas.

She also mentioned that regarding agricultural land ownership, although men predominate, there is a gradual increase in the number of women owners, mainly between 50 and 64 years of age.

In the political sphere, female participation in local governments reached 44.2% of seats last year, significantly narrowing the gender gap compared to previous electoral processes.

However, gender-based violence remains a concern, as at the end of 2024, 76 women were murdered for gender-based reasons, mostly in the home and at the hands of partners or ex-partners.

To date, 230 cases of sexual violence against women have been prosecuted, with the highest incidence among the 20-44 age group.

Similarly, the adolescent fertility rate shows a slight decline, although the eastern provinces maintain the highest figures, the expert stated.

The data are aligned with the National Program for the Advancement of Women, the 2030 Agenda, and Cuba's commitments in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Among the current challenges facing the center in raising awareness and disseminating the indicators are managing the site's sustainability, considering the necessary human and financial resources, as well as the new gender indicators linked to: access to credit; the situation of women in new forms of economic management; caregiving; and unpaid work.

This observatory stands as a fundamental instrument for public management, based on science, innovation, computerization, and social communication, which contributes to raising awareness of problems and progress in gender equality, supporting the formulation of effective public policies.