Cuba honors life and work of Vilma Espín, a leading defender of women's rights

Havana, April 7 (RHC) The Cuban people honor this Friday the life and work of the heroine Vilma Espín, a leader in the defense of women's rights, on the occasion of the 93rd anniversary of her birth.

Espín was a member of the July 26 Movement, a fighter in the eastern Sierra Maestra alongside the historical leader Fidel Castro in the fight against Fulgencio Batista’s dictatorship (1952-1958).

With the war name of Deborah, she was a notable clandestine fighter, especially during the uprising of November 30, 1956, in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba. In 1958 she joined the Rebel Army where she continued to stand out for coordinating the clandestine movement and for her actions on the Frank País Second Eastern Front.

After the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, she worked to guarantee the emancipation of women. To achieve this objective, she led the unification of women's organizations and thus the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) emerged on August 23, 1960, of which she was its president.

The leader was also one of the main promoters of children's day cares, founded on April 10, 1961, with the purpose of caring for children who have not yet reached school age and whose mothers joined work.

The heroine, who died in June 2007, was also the life partner of Army General Raúl Castro.  (Source: Prensa Latina)