Identidades in English No 1, February 2014 | Page 28
Afro-Descendant Women:
Challenges for Racial and Gender Equality
Race, class and gender in Cuba and the world
Cecilia Moreno Rojas
Sociologist
Member, Regional Coordination of the Network of Afro-Latin American, Afro-Caribbean and Diasporic Women—REMAP
Panama
D
eveloping new leadership as Afro-descendant women
Black women have and need to gain the space we have
been historically denied by society. We assume more
proactive leadership roles that are more proactive,
committed and in solidarity with the rest of black
women, and with the entire Afro-descendant community capable of daily facing the barrier of exclusion
and class, gender and racial exclusion.
More than ever, nowadays, worldwide globalization,
new economic trends, free trade agreements, the modernization of communication and rapidly advancing,
new technology demand that we develop a more entrepreneurial, optimistic and positive attitude when
facing challenges. This new reality demands that we
be more proactive, and that we come up with creative
ideas that can strengthen our abilities in the politic activities, business activities and sociocultural organization of our communities.
Economically, Afro-descendant women need to learn
to recognize the marketplace’s rules, and dare to go
further in the development of businesses that generate
income and contribute to the quality of life of our families.
We must acknowledge that in many of our countries
there is strong resistance and generalized fear of opening accepting that we suffer from racism and racial
discrimination. To a degree, we have become accustomed to hearing and seeing expressions and stereotypes charged with racism, and practices that discriminate against o W"v