Cuban and Vietnamese women strengthen friendship ties

 HAVANA, Cuba, Apr 21 (ACN) The Federation of Cuban Women (FMC by its Spanish acronym) and the Vietnam Women's Union (UMV by its Spanish acronym) strengthened sisterly ties during a seminar held today at the Havana Convention Center, in the context of the current high-level visit of leaders of that Asian nation to Cuba.

The exchange between will contribute to the strengthening of the historic relations, said Teresa Amarelle Boue, secretary general of the FMC, in a meeting attended by Ines Maria Chapman Waugh, Cuban deputy prime minister, and Do Thi Thu Thao Do Thi, permanent vice president of the UMV.

Before Tran Quang Phuong, member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and vice president of the National Assembly of that country, Amarelle Boue stated that the National Program for the Advancement of Women in Cuba, promoted by the organization she represents, is conceived as the State's agenda for the advancement of women.

The secretary general of the FMC affirmed that this program means a point of continuity, progress and development of gender equality in the nation, and pointed out that in Cuba women represent 62 % of higher education graduates; 67.2 % of technicians and professionals, and make up 45 % of the labor force in the civilian state sector.

For her part, the permanent vice president of the Vietnam Women's Union affirmed that her country and Cuba have built a common relationship based on freedom and the rebellious spirit of the two countries and that Vietnamese women admire the valuable experiences gained by Cuban women in all fields.

She said the Union is proactively involved in the basic rights of women, and in terms of political participation they have made crucial progress, as the nation ranks second in the Asia-Pacific region in the proportion of women participating in the National Assembly, with 30.26%.
As part of the Asian delegation's visit to the Caribbean nation, the Federation of Cuban Women and the Vietnam National Women's Union signed an agreement last Tuesday in the interest of closer cooperation and boosting gender equality.