HAVANA.—Representatives of non-governmental organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean highlighted Cuba's solidarity with disabled persons across the region, and the country’s inclusive public policies, this Tuesday, June 7.
At the opening of the First Disabled Women Leaders Regional Seminar-Workshop, with representatives from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, taking place in Havana’s Convention Center, specialists agreed on the importance of learning from positive Cuban practices and implementing these in correspondence with the characteristics of each nation.
Ana Lucía Arellanos, president of the Latin American Network of Non-Governmental Organizations of Persons with Disabilities and their Families (RIADIS), emphasized that the island stands out globally for its promotion of women's empowerment, protection of the rights of people with special needs, and its policies based on non-discrimination.
She noted that despite the increasing legal recognition and visibility of disabled persons, this remains insufficient, and invited the governments, states and peoples of the region to join forces in order to raise the quality of life of this sector of the population.
Referring to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean, Lucía Arellanos stressed the need for progress on issues of respect, justice, equity and solidarity, areas in which Cuba has much to demonstrate.
She also referred to the relevance of such seminars and workshops to exchange experiences, and explained that RIADIS brings together 49 organizations from 19 countries, with consultative status at the United Nations.
Conferences, panels, and other activities will take place during the event in Havana, which extends until this Friday, June 10, and seeks to provide tools for empowerment and support the advance of equity and equality for disabled women.
Yusimí Campos, deputy minister of Labor and Social Security; Mabel Ballesteros, national president of the Cuban Association of Persons with Physical and Motor Disabilities (ACLIFIM), along with officials from various political and mass organizations of the island participated in the opening of this regional event.
