Since the beginning of the revolutionary struggle against the Batista doctatorship, Vilma Espín became a close collaborator of Frank País -leader of the July 26th Revolutionary movement. On his orders, she participated in preparations for the November 30th uprising in Santiago de Cuba.

She later became a leading member of the movement. Shortly before Frank was murdered, he had named her Provincial Coordinator of the July 26th Movement in the eastern part of the country, a task she fulfilled until July 1958. Because of the persecution she was subjected to by the dictatorship, the movement decided that she should join the rebel forces in the Sierra Maestra Mountains, particularly the Frank País Second Front.

After the 1959 triumph of the revolution, she was given the task of organizing and leading Cuban women. Due to her excellent work and the fact that she was much admired as a true exponent of the hard-working Cuban women she represented, congress after congress Vilma was re-elected as the president of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC).

She successfully led Cuban women in their struggle to build a more equitable and just society, in which men and women would enjoy equal opportunities and rights.

A member of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) since 1965, she was elected as a substitute member of the PCC's Political Bureau during the Party´s 2nd Congress, an acting bureau member during the 3rd Congress and later ratified as a Central Committee's member during the 4th congress.

Since 1976 when the National Assembly of People's Power was established, she was elected as Deputy and member of the Cuban Council of State.

She also fulfilled several other important responsibilities. She was the Director of Industrial Development of the Food Industry and President of the Childhood Institute. She presided over the National Social Prevention and Assistance Commission and the Cuban Parliament's Commission for Assistance to Children and Youth and the National Group on Sexual Education. She was instrumental in training the young generations of Cubans. She took part in various activities in support of the country's scientific development.

Internationally, she was regarded as an outstanding political leader. She would often head Cuban delegations to international events.

She was awarded the Mariana Grajales and the Ana Betancourt Orders; the medals of the Clandestine Movement and the Liberation War, and other medals and distinctions. She was also the recipient of decorations from other countries.

Date of birth: April 7, 1930.

In eastern Cuba she was an active participant in student's demonstrations demanding that the university there be officially recognized as a center for higher studies. There, she was a member of the women's voleyball team and the school's choir until she graduated 1954 as an industrial chemical engineer. She was instrumental in the foundation and development of the Federation of University Students in eastern Cuba.

She participated in demonstrations protesting the March 10th, 1952 military coup and helped the group of revolutionaries who participated in the attack against the Moncada Garrison.

Vilma had an outstanding participation in the revolutionary struggle against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista.

She met Fidel and Raúl Castro in Mexico in 1955. And she married Raúl on January 26, 1959.

Her work in preparing the Santiago de Cuba uprising to support the landing of the Granma Yacht was crucial. Vilma´s house was turned into a center for clandestine meetings of members of the July 26th movement.

She made a substantial contribution to teaching at all levels in revolutionary Cuba.

1959- As a leading member of the July 26th movement, she participated in the establishment of the first revolutionary government. Vilma worked in the Center for Industrial Development of the Food Industry until 1960 when the Federation of Cuban Women FMC was founded.

1960-On August 23 she was elected as President of the FMC.

1961 -She worked hard in the creation of a network of day-care centers inaugurated in April of that same year. The task of creating an institution that would look after children under the age of five so as to help working women, was given by Fidel Castro to the FMC at the closing session of the organization's 1st congress.

1963-Vilma represented Cuba at the Women's Congress of the Americas, held in the Cuban capital.

1965-She was designated member of the Cuban Communist Party's Central Committee.

1968-Vilma worked hard toward the creation of the Childhood Institute, which was officially founded on May 31, 1971 -An entity in charge of implementing state policies to educate and assist to pre-school children.

1969-In June she presided over the World Women's Congress, held in Helsinki.

1970-Vilma headed the Cuban delegation that traveled to the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam at the invitation of the Association of Vietnamese Women. The Cuban delegation's presence there coincided with the resumption of US bombing attacks against the Asian country.

1975-She was awarded the Ana Betancourt Order. In October of the same year, she traveled to Berlin, heading the island's delegation to the World Women's Congress, held October 20th through the 24th in Germany.

1976-She was elected Deputy to the National Assembly of Poeple's Power, representing the eastern municipality of Santiago de Cuba. On December 3rd, 1976, she was chosen member of the State Council.

1977-On February 20th, she was awarded the medal for strengthening Army ties, granted by the State Council of the People's Republic of Bulgaria. On March 8th, she was awarded the commemorative medal of the 20th anniversary of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces. That same year, Vilma was chosen as deputy president of the Federation of Democratic Women.

1978-In February, she visited Jamaica, where she attended the first meeting of the Regional subcommittee for Women's Active Participation in the Economic Development of Latin America. In May, she attended a meeting of the council of the World Federation of Democratic Women, held in Moscow.

1979-In April, she was awarded the Lenin International Prize. On December 27th, the World Federation of Democratic Women granted her the prize for her contribution to strengthening peace among the peoples.

1980-Vilma was ratified as the FMC President during the organization's 3rd congress.

She was appointed deputy member to the Central Committee's Political Bureau of the PCC, during the 2nd PCC congress, held December 17th through the 20th.

1981-On September 8th, she received in Paris, france, the Nadiezhda Krupskala prize, granted by UNESCO to the Federation of Cuban Women for the organization's work in upgrading Cuban women's skills.

1982-She was warded the Marcos Martí Distinction, granted by the Union of Agriculture Workers and the September 28th distinction, granted by the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution.

1983-In January she was designated deputy president of the Board of Advisors of the UN Women's Institute. She was re-elected to the post the following year.

1985-Vilma was ratified as President of the Federation of Cuban Women during the organization's 4th congress. In July, she attended a UN conference on the situation of women. That same year, she received the Mariana Grajales order. She was awarded the August 23rd distinction during the main activity marking the 25th anniversary of the FMC. In October the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia granted her the commemorative medal of the 40th anniversary of victory over fascism.

1987-She attended the World Women Congress in Moscow.

1989-In February the Council of Ministers of the Democratic Republic of Laos granted her the Friendship order. The Sandinista National Liberation Front in Nicaragua awarded her the commemorative order of the 10th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution.

1991-In March, she visited Venezuela, where she participated in the 2nd Congress of Venezuelan Women. That same year, she was elected member of the PCC's Central Committee during the party's 4th congress, held October 10th through the 14th.

1992-- In January she traveled to Brazil where she attended the closing session of a solidarity with Cuba event held in the city of Niteroi. On the 31st she was named honorific daughter of the Brazilian city, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. She was granted the Arariboia No Grain order, instituted by the municipal government to distinguish oustanding world personalities. In February, she traveled to Geneva, where she attended a summit on the situation of women farmers. On November 20th, she again traveled to Niteroi, Brazil, where she inaugurated a family doctor's office, donated by Cuba.

1993-On March 15th, she was elected a member of the council of state.

1994-In September, she traveled to Argentina where she attended the second regional meeting of the world federation of democratic women. She met with women legislators from Argentina and also took part in the sixth regional conference on women organized by the UN Economic Commission for Latin America (CEPAL).

1995-She was granted a UN disticntion for her contribution to the success of the World Family Year, instituted by the world body. She was again re-elected as the FMC president during the organization's 6th congress.

1997-She was designated a member of the PCC's Central Committee during the party's 5th congress, held October 8th through the 10th.

1998-On February 24th, she was elected a member of the council of state. In September she represented Cuba in the 7th conference of first ladies and women lawmakers of the Americas, held in Chile. She met with the association of families of the Pinochet dictatorship's victims. The association granted her the "where are they" medal, the highest distinction granted by the human rights group.

2000-She visited Panama, where she attended a meeting of women ministers in charge of adopting and implementing women-related policies. The meeting was in preparation for the 5th Ibero-American Summit, held that year in Panama. On June 6th, she attended the second day of an extraordinary period of sessions of the UN General Assembly that analyzed the results in the promotion of the rights of women in the period from 1995 to 2000. On that occasion she denounced the negative impact of the neo-liberal policies of the International Monetary Fund on the situation of women. In reference to the US hostile policy toward Cuba, she reaffirmed the Cuban people's determination to defend our sovereignty and independence.

2001-In March, she visited Venezuela invited by the National Women's Institute of the Latin American nation. The Venezuelan institution granted her the Argelia Laya distinction for her personal merits in the struggle for the rights of Latin American women. That same year, the Cuban council of state granted her the title of heorine of the Republic of Cuba and the Playa Girón (Bay of Pigs) order.

2002-She attended the 13th congress of the world federation of democratic women, held in Beirut, Lebanon.

2003-Vilma was re-elected as a member of the Cuban Council of State.

(RHC) 19-06-2007