Women’s Rights in Cuba
When you think about women’s rights in Cuba, a country that is so controlled by their leader, you assume that women are equally controlled. What a surprise it is to find that they have more rights than expected. The constitution of Cuba guarantees women equality to men. It states that women are to be given the same opportunities and possibilities that men are allowed to have and that this is so that women can participate fully in the development of Cuba. It states right there that women and men have the same rights socially, culturally, politically and economically. This article in the Cuban constitution states that these conditions are to allow the state to create conditions of equality.
It goes on further to show how it protects women and supports them in those rights that are important. Article forty four of the Cuban constitution states that it will look after women’s health, and that of their children, by giving those who work maternity leave with pay to allow them to take the time off to have their children. They can take this time before and after their babies are born. They can take off a full year with full pay if they should choose to. As well, they will provide situations where women can work part time if they choose to allow them more freedom to spend time with their children. This article goes on to mention that the state will allow for the organization of daycares, schools, homes for seniors and services for all to ease the responsibilities of working families. Their passage in the constitution is laid out to make it easier for women to work and care for their families. As well, abortion is available to them without committee.
But this is not the end of their commitment to women’s rights in Cuba. Currently thirty five percent of the seats in the Cuban parliament are held by women. This means that Cuba ranks sixth place in comparison to other countries on the issue of women in government. They received the vote in 1933, only thirteen years behind American women. In 1934 there were more Cuban women in the workforce, going to school and being allowed to use birth control than in any other Latin American country of the time.
The Federation of Cuban women, also known as the FMC, was first recognized in 1959. It was begun to further the rights of women and is believed to have eighty five percent of Cuban women over the age of fourteen as members. Women’s rights in Cuba are strongly protected as is shown by their involvement in the government and their ability to get higher education. Nearly fifty percent of all high school graduates are women and a surprising sixty two percent of university grads are female. They are a big part of how the government is run. Thirty five percent of the government seats are held by women, forty nine percent of judges and sixty one percent of lawyers are also women as are fifty percent of the doctors. Who would have expected such progress from a country like this?
