August 23, 1960 and after: Federation of Cuban Women Works to Promote Women’s Health

The Federation of Cuban Women (Federacion de Mujeres Cubanas, FMC) is founded to promote gender equality and the full integration of women into the economic, political, social, and cultural life of Cuba. [Partido Comunista de Cuba, 7/29/2006; Cuban Education Tours, 7/29/2006] The FMC, a non-governmental organization, will liaison with the Cuban government through the People’s Health Commissions to promote women’s health. [Feinsilver, 1993, pp. 32] Some of the organization’s members will serve as brigadistas sanitarias (health brigade members), helping polyclinic (see 1964 and after) nurses provide women with first aid, injections, and general health information. They are also responsible for seeing that all women in their district regularly have pap smears, and that all pregnant women do not skip any of their prenatal exams or check-ups. When Cuba implements its Family Doctor Program (see 1984) many of the brigadistas sanitarias’ responsibilities will be taken over by the family physician-nurse teams. The role of the brigadistas sanitarias will focus mainly on health education. They will also occasionally assist family doctors and nurses. [Feinsilver, 1993, pp. 66]