8 things India needs to learn from Cuba on women empowerment

8 things India needs to learn from Cuba on women empowerment

By Meghna

Most of us, by now, will be familiar with the contents of the open letter which Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal wrote to India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

In the letter, which has also been broadcasted on AIR, Kejriwal is pointing out how women are feeling increasingly insecure in Delhi and how the Police has not exactly been efficient in ensuring their safety.

The law and order situation and the resultant lapse in the safety of the denizens are indeed things to be concerned about.

When it comes to ensuring the safety of women and providing them with equal rights, maybe no other country stands at par with Cuba. Cuba is perhaps the only country in Latin America where women are completely equal in terms of work, wages, education and healthcare.

India is a force to be reckoned with and there is hardly any doubt. But when it comes to ensuring equal rights and opportunities to women, we should look westwards, or at least towards Cuba.

NewsGram brings you the eight achievements of Cuban society post the Revolution of 1950s that the Indian society and system should seriously look at and absolutely consider adapting.

  1. According to a United Nations Survey on Women in Politics, Cuba occupies the third position in the world in terms of percentage of women in unicameral parliaments. 45.2% of seats in Cuban parliament are occupied by women.

  2. Cuba is the only nation of Latin America to be ranked among top 20 countries in the World Economic Forum Global Gender-gap Report of 2011.

  3. 50% of Cuban workforce is women.

  4. Literacy rate of Cuba is 100% and the percentage of literate women is 99%.

  5. Cuba has an advanced healthcare system and has significantly low Maternal Mortality Rates and life expectancy of women is approximately 80 years.

  6. Women and Men are mandated by law that they have equal responsibilities towards their households.

  7. Cuban women get a total of 18 weeks paid maternity leave with an extra 2 weeks if the birth is delayed and they also have the option of an extended leave with 60% pay until the child is one year old.

  8. Cuba has very high percentage of women enrolled in primary, secondary and tertiary education.

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