Federation of Cuban Women at UN meeting for gender equality

A representation of the Federation of Cuban Women headed by its general secretary, Teresa Amarelle Boué, has participated since Monday in the sessions of the Commission on the Legal and Social Status of Women based in the United Nations.

The event, considered the largest annual UN meeting for the empowerment of women and girls, will run until the 22nd with debates focused on accelerating the achievement of equality, addressing poverty, and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective.

The event brings together representatives of governments, civil society organizations, specialists and activists from around the world to agree on actions and investments that can end women's poverty and advance the agenda outlined in this regard.

According to figures from the organization, 10.3 percent of this population group today lives in extreme poverty, and they are poorer than men. In response, the UN considers progress towards the eradication of this scourge 26 times faster to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030.

However, estimates ensure that it will not be possible to accelerate the pace without investments.

More than 100 million women and girls could be lifted out of poverty if governments prioritized education and family planning, fair and equal wages, and increased social benefits. At the same time, almost 300 million jobs could be created by 2035 through investments in care services.

If gender gaps in employment were closed, per capita gross domestic product could increase by 20 percent in all regions, according to the UN.