The Federation of Cuban Women, or the FMC (La Federacion de Mujeres Cubanas), has been essential in advancing both gender equalization and health improvement for women. The FMC was established in 1960 by Fidel Castro, with Vilma Espin, a close friend of his, as president. Today, it is recognized as both an NGO and a national mechanism for women, because while its membership includes the vast majority of Cuban women (85.2% of all eligible women over 14), it is not government supported or financed.1 The organization has a pyramidal structure in which there are local, municipal, provincial, and national levels of representation and leadership.

Some of the FMC’s most important achievements have been supporting the mass education of women, incorporating women into the work force, and pushing for legislation and social reform for gender equality.2 During the great literacy campaign in 1960, over 100,000 volunteer “people’s teachers” reached out to 700,000 people, over half of whom were women, and contributed to Cuba having the second-highest national literacy rate in the world.1,4 Due to the labor shortage created by the mass exile from Cuba during the revolution, the FMC also created both programs in cities that taught rural women sewing skills, who then returned home and taught others, as well as locally-run night literacy and farming training classes in agricultural communities.3 In the realm of legal and social support for women, The FMC played a pivotal role in passing the Family Code in 1975, which ensures equal property and social rights for women in the home.2 Finally, the FMC publishes two magazines that serve as important communication portals between the leadership and members of the FMC.

Women and the FMC have also had important influences on Cubans’ health status and their health care system. Public health and nursing were two of the first professions seen as “fit” for women. In recent times, there have been as many female medical students, doctors, general practitioners, and hospital directors as there are male counterparts.4 In the early years of Castro’s regime, the FMC was highly effective in supporting the government’s campaigns to improve vaccination rates and educate the public on health and hygiene topics. Information also flows upwards from the grassroots level to FMC and central leadership in the form of health debates, in which communities of women come together periodically and discuss important health topics in their lives.

Another major accomplishment of FMC’s is helping to pass maternity leave laws in 1974. Under these laws, pregnant women are guaranteed three months of paid leave. The FMC also helped to establish maternity homes, so that virtually all women delivered their babies under the care of trained attendants, most of whom were FMC volunteers.

THE FMC AS A FEMINIST MOVEMENT

Although not a community-based organization in the strictest sense, the power of the FMC lies in its effectiveness in mobilizing women and creating solidarity. It has achieved success in motivating change in Cuban society precisely because it embodies some important principles of community organizing. Several characteristics of the FMC and its relationship to both its members and the central government confer its ability as a mobilizing body:

1)Responsive leadership and decentralized organization: The FMC’s success depended hugely on the flexibility and responsiveness of both leaders within the organization and those in the central government. The FMC began as a government sanctioned organization to mobilize women workers, but gradually shifted away from Castro’s control as FMC leaders became more independent and educated; this occurred because both parties were willing to compromise. Internally, the FMC’s pyramidal structure also helped it maintain an open ear to its membership at multiple levels, so that women retained control of the efforts of the organization.

2)Strong leadership and leadership training within the community: Since the formation of the FMC, Vilma Espin, as the FMC’s first and only president, has remained a powerful figure both within the organization as well as in its dealings with the Castro regime. In addition, the FMC not only relies on decisions made by top leadership, but its organizational structure also allows for active participation and training of leaders at all levels.

3)Commitment to goals that sustain the organization and its membership: Most of the causes that the FMC took up, such as women’s rights to higher education, paid maternity leave, childcare provisions, and free abortions and birth control both served the women themselves and allowed them to have more time to participate in the FMC. Thus, by serving the personal interests of its members, the FMC also ensured its own sustainable success.

4)Smart political positioning: The FMC’s unique position as a semi-governmental organization and Vilma Espin’s close friendship with Fidel Castro helped it gain political leverage. At the same time, its strong ties to its members also ensure that it is well-supported and oriented towards their interest.