By María Josefina Arce

March begins with an important global day to raise awareness of the fact that all human beings should enjoy the same rights, regardless of race, gender, sexual preference, religious beliefs and cognitive limitations.

Zero Discrimination Day is an opportunity to adopt strategies against all types of marginalization, which contradicts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Cuba has underlined its political will to confront any discriminatory manifestation that is detrimental to the dignity and infringes on the prerogatives of its citizens.

This is confirmed by the 2019 Constitution, ratified by the people at the polls, which recognizes the equality of all Cubans and prohibits discrimination.

Various actions have been developed in the country to eliminate any form of exclusion and ensure that every citizen has access to basic human rights such as health, education, decent work, drinking water and sanitation, among others.

Also in 2019, in the month of November, the National Program against Racism and Racial Discrimination was approved, a sign of the priority given by the government to eradicate any vestige of this phenomenon, which is still present in our society.

This initiative, the experts emphasize, has a comprehensive projection and is articulated with various institutions of the nation for its proper implementation.
In addition, the National Program for the Advancement of Women, an essential mechanism to promote gender equality.

Although progress has been made in the empowerment of women since the revolutionary triumph of January 1959, certain sexist attitudes persist, so this instrument aims, among other objectives, to promote education with a gender focus in families and communities to curb manifestations of discrimination.

Cuba, which also approved a modern and inclusive Family Code, is also a signatory to more than 40 international treaties for the protection of human rights, which confirms its willingness to confront any manifestation of discrimination.