The BBC has reported that Vilma Espin, wife of Cuba's acting president Raul Castro, has died in Havana, she was aged 77. Here is a snippet:

She was a key figure in the Cuban revolution and the long-standing head of the Cuban Women's Federation, which works to advance women's rights.

Born into a wealthy family, she fought as a guerrilla alongside Fidel Castro and his younger brother Raul in the Sierra Maestra mountains.

She married Raul in early 1959 and was often described as Cuba's "first lady".

Espin reportedly died after a long battle with illness.

The Cuban authorities have announced an official mourning period, which will last until 2200 on Tuesday (0300 GMT Wednesday), with national flags on all public buildings and military bases being lowered to half mast.

Full BBC Article Here

Vilma Espin was an industrial chemistry engineer who was married to Raul Castro, head of the Cuban Armed Forces and brother to Cuban President Fidel Castro. She had been President of the Federation of Cuban Women since its foundation in 1960. The organization is an ECOSOC-recognized NGO with membership of more than three and a half million women.

A member of the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba, Vilma Espin headed the Cuban Delegation to the First Latin American Congress on Women and Children in Chile in September 1959. The mother of four and grandmother of seven was a member of the Central Committee and the Political Bureau of the communist Party of Cuba. She headed the Cuban delegation to the Conferences on Women held in Mexico, Copenhagen, Nairobi and Beijing.

In my opinion whether you agree with her politics or not Vilma should be recognized for standing up for her beliefs, and championing the rights of ALL women to be considered equal throughout the world.

Further Reading:

Vilma Espín Guillois

Spouses of Heads Of State