According to data provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, it is estimated that women represent 43 percent of the labor force. It is also argued that they produce between 60 and 80 percent of the food in developing countries and half of the world’s food.
In Cuba, the empowerment of women in various sectors is increasingly visible. The active participation of women in the productive sector is a reality in our society. This has been achieved thanks to the multisectoral and intentional work carried out by the Cuban government in this regard since the beginning of the Triumph of the Revolution. However, in the first decade of the 21st century, the work of the agricultural sector regarding the participation of women in agricultural work has been more visible.
For example, in 2008, Decree Law 259 was approved, a legal regulation that guaranteed the delivery of idle state lands in usufruct to natural and legal persons in order to promote agricultural production and reduce imports.
The opportunity, to date, has given women the opportunity to demonstrate their potential and contributions to this sector, which is essential to the country’s economy.
Currently in Contramaestre there are 118 women landowners, 116 usufructuaries and 89 women cooperative members in collective benefits. These figures show how much the agricultural sector has been gaining in gender work, a necessary task if we are talking about equality.
This municipality of Santiago de Cuba province, is also working on the development of various events that seek a space for those women who are committed to work in the field. The events of women creators, their participation in forums where they present their results and innovations, show how much women have achieved in this sector. Work that still needs to continue to be perfected, but which has shown the way forward.
