Women in Cuba
Encyclopedia
In Cuba
women have equal constitutional
rights as men in the economic
, political
, cultural
and social fields, as well as in the family. According to article 44 of the Cuban Constitution, the state guarantees women the same opportunities and possibilities as men, in order to achieve woman’s full participation in the development of the country. Women hold 35% of the parliamentary seats in the Cuban National Assembly ranking sixth of 162 countries on issues of female participation in political life. http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_CUB.html There has been only one candidate per seat and the National Candidacy Commission decides the persons.
had achieved a status comparable with that of other Latin American countries, such as Argentina
and Chile
. In 1933, during the 100-day government of Ramón Grau
, Cuban women received the vote. In 1934 the percentages of Cuban women working outside the home, attending school, and practicing birth control surpassed the corresponding percentages in nearly every other Latin American country.
Women in Cuba had been elected to Cuba's House of Representatives and Senate, serving as mayors, judges, cabinet members, municipal counselors, and members of the Cuban foreign service. The return of Grau to government, under the auspices of President Fulgencio Batista
provided for the Cuban Constitution
of 1940, one of the most progressive in the Western Hemisphere
with regard to women's status, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex and calling for equal pay for equal work.
After the Cuban revolution
of 1959, the Federation of Cuban Women
(FMC) was established as an NGO. The FMC was recognized by the Cuban government as "the national mechanism for the advancement of women in Cuba". The organization claims to have more than 3 million members, which constitutes 85.2% of all women over age 14. There is also a Women’s Training Centre and a Women’s Publishing House at national level. The group generally adheres to the Cuban government's objectives "to defend the Cuban Revolution". According to Cuban government statistics, women represent 49.5% of all graduates at higher educational levels and 62% of university students. Women constitute 35% of Parliamentary members, 61% of attorneys, 49% of judges, and 47% Judges in the Supreme Court.
Since the "Special Period in the Times of Peace" in the 1990s, women have stepped to the forefront of life in Cuba, calling for a step towards an existence without sexism. Sexism in Cuba goes hand in hand with the racism experienced by Afro-Cubans. Black women, especially, receive the lowest paying jobs, have the highest rates of unemployment, the lowest education levels and often live with the threat of gender violence.
Hip-hop, more specifically rap
, has become the vehicle for Cuban women to express their dissatisfaction with race and gender status in Cuba. The lyrics of all female Cuban rap groups Las Krudas http://www.myspace.com/3krudas and Obsesion
ask for respect for diversity on the music scene and sympathy for women who have turned to prostitution for economic rescue. During the "Special Period
", women came to the forefront in managing different economic and domestic situations and in doing so, assumed more responsibility and new authority. The popular dance style "perreo" can be seen as a symbol of this change, with women in front of men during the dance.
Promotion of female hip-hop artists is currently not on the same level as their male counterparts however, through the support of the Cuban Rap Agency
and specifically Magia Lopez, the head of the agency, this may change. Lopez is currently working to increase the participation of women in the Cuban Hip-hop scene.
The average Cuban wage was only 334 regular pesos per month ($16.70 per month) at the end of 2005. Jineterismo
is a term used to describe a number of illegal or semi-legal economic activities related to tourism in Cuba
, including prostitution
.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
women have equal constitutional
Constitution of Cuba
Since attaining its independence from Spain, Cuba has had five constitutions. The current constitution was drafted in 1976 and has since been amended.-1901 Constitution:The 1901 Constitution was Cuba's first as an independent state...
rights as men in the economic
Economy of Cuba
The economy of Cuba is a largely centrally planned economy dominated by state-run enterprises overseen by the Cuban government, though there remains significant foreign investment and private enterprise in Cuba...
, political
Politics of Cuba
Cuba is constitutionally defined as a "socialist state guided by the principles of José Martí, and the political ideas of Marx, the father of communist states, Engels and Lenin." The present Constitution also ascribes the role of the Communist Party of Cuba to be the "leading force of society and...
, cultural
Culture of Cuba
The culture of Cuba is a complex mixture of different, often contrasting, factors and influences. Cuba is a meeting point of European, African and continental North American cultures; little of the original Amerindian culture survives. Since 1959, the Cuban Revolution has also greatly affected...
and social fields, as well as in the family. According to article 44 of the Cuban Constitution, the state guarantees women the same opportunities and possibilities as men, in order to achieve woman’s full participation in the development of the country. Women hold 35% of the parliamentary seats in the Cuban National Assembly ranking sixth of 162 countries on issues of female participation in political life. http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_CUB.html There has been only one candidate per seat and the National Candidacy Commission decides the persons.
History
In the first half of the 20th Century, women in CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
had achieved a status comparable with that of other Latin American countries, such as Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. In 1933, during the 100-day government of Ramón Grau
Ramón Grau
Dr. Ramón Grau San Martín was a Cuban physician and the President of Cuba .-Youth:...
, Cuban women received the vote. In 1934 the percentages of Cuban women working outside the home, attending school, and practicing birth control surpassed the corresponding percentages in nearly every other Latin American country.
Women in Cuba had been elected to Cuba's House of Representatives and Senate, serving as mayors, judges, cabinet members, municipal counselors, and members of the Cuban foreign service. The return of Grau to government, under the auspices of President Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar was the United States-aligned Cuban President, dictator and military leader who served as the leader of Cuba from 1933 to 1944 and from 1952 to 1959, before being overthrown as a result of the Cuban Revolution....
provided for the Cuban Constitution
Constitution of Cuba
Since attaining its independence from Spain, Cuba has had five constitutions. The current constitution was drafted in 1976 and has since been amended.-1901 Constitution:The 1901 Constitution was Cuba's first as an independent state...
of 1940, one of the most progressive in the Western Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
with regard to women's status, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex and calling for equal pay for equal work.
After the Cuban revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
of 1959, the Federation of Cuban Women
Federation of Cuban Women
The Federation of Cuban Women was established in 1960 under the revolutionary government with Vilma Espín as its president. Espin fought in the Sierra Maestras with Fidel Castro and Raul Castro and married Raul in 1959. She was the president of the FMC till her death in 2007. From its inception...
(FMC) was established as an NGO. The FMC was recognized by the Cuban government as "the national mechanism for the advancement of women in Cuba". The organization claims to have more than 3 million members, which constitutes 85.2% of all women over age 14. There is also a Women’s Training Centre and a Women’s Publishing House at national level. The group generally adheres to the Cuban government's objectives "to defend the Cuban Revolution". According to Cuban government statistics, women represent 49.5% of all graduates at higher educational levels and 62% of university students. Women constitute 35% of Parliamentary members, 61% of attorneys, 49% of judges, and 47% Judges in the Supreme Court.
Since the "Special Period in the Times of Peace" in the 1990s, women have stepped to the forefront of life in Cuba, calling for a step towards an existence without sexism. Sexism in Cuba goes hand in hand with the racism experienced by Afro-Cubans. Black women, especially, receive the lowest paying jobs, have the highest rates of unemployment, the lowest education levels and often live with the threat of gender violence.
Hip-hop, more specifically rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
, has become the vehicle for Cuban women to express their dissatisfaction with race and gender status in Cuba. The lyrics of all female Cuban rap groups Las Krudas http://www.myspace.com/3krudas and Obsesion
Obsesión
"Obsesión" is a 2002 single by Dominican-American bachata band Aventura. It was included on the 2002 album We Broke the Rules. It achieved a huge success in many countries, reaching the top of many international charts...
ask for respect for diversity on the music scene and sympathy for women who have turned to prostitution for economic rescue. During the "Special Period
Special Period
The Special Period in Time of Peace in Cuba was an extended period of economic crisis that began in 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and, by extension, the Comecon. The economic depression of the Special Period was at its most severe in the early-to-mid 1990s before slightly declining...
", women came to the forefront in managing different economic and domestic situations and in doing so, assumed more responsibility and new authority. The popular dance style "perreo" can be seen as a symbol of this change, with women in front of men during the dance.
Promotion of female hip-hop artists is currently not on the same level as their male counterparts however, through the support of the Cuban Rap Agency
Cuban Rap Agency
The Cuban Rap Agency is an organization subsidized by the Cuban government aimed at aiding Cuban hip hop artists in attaining radio exposure and recording contracts...
and specifically Magia Lopez, the head of the agency, this may change. Lopez is currently working to increase the participation of women in the Cuban Hip-hop scene.
The average Cuban wage was only 334 regular pesos per month ($16.70 per month) at the end of 2005. Jineterismo
Jineterismo
Jineterismo is a term used to describe an alleged number of illegal or semi-legal economic activities related to tourism in Cuba. These activities include prostitution and pimping, as well as other forms of hustling, such as selling black-market and counterfeit goods. The term derives from the...
is a term used to describe a number of illegal or semi-legal economic activities related to tourism in Cuba
Tourism in Cuba
Tourism in Cuba attracts over 2 million people a year, and is one of the main sources of revenue for the island. With its favorable climate, beaches, colonial architecture and distinct cultural history, Cuba has long been an attractive destination for tourists...
, including prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
.
Work for Cuban Women
Presently, everywhere in the world, people are concerned about the feminization of poverty. [4]Seven out of every ten poor people are women or girls, according to a study carried out by the World Food Program (WFP). Nonetheless, there is increase in the number of women in the technical and professional work force in Cuba, where women represent 45% of the scientific and technical sector. More than 70% of bank employees are women, while they represent 43.9% of the work force in joint ventures and have proven their abilities, skills and efficiency. More than 50% of the workforce in the Ministry of Public Health is female. The National Association of Innovators and Rationalizes, also sees the contribution and participation of women on the rise, and women have won outstanding prizes in the national forums held by this organization.See also
- Human rights in CubaHuman rights in CubaHuman Rights Watch is among international human rights organizations accusing the Cuban government of systematic human rights abuses, including torture, arbitrary imprisonment, unfair trials, and extrajudicial execution....
- Demographics of CubaDemographics of CubaThis article is about the demographic features of the population of Cuba, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
- Constitution of CubaConstitution of CubaSince attaining its independence from Spain, Cuba has had five constitutions. The current constitution was drafted in 1976 and has since been amended.-1901 Constitution:The 1901 Constitution was Cuba's first as an independent state...
Further reading
- Brenner, Jimenez, Kirk, and LeoGrande Rowman & Littlefield A Contemporary Cuba Reader, Reinventing the Revolution ISBN 9780742555075