Gender Equality In Cuba Began In The 1950's

Research regarding movements to promote gender equality in Cuba commenced in the 1950s. There were numerous challenges within that time frame that the government needed to address. Policies enacted to protect women’s rights, increase female workforce participation and create women’s organizations to further advocate for change were pivotal to improving social, moreover, economic conditions for women. According to americasquarterly.org. “These and other efforts enable Cuba to fulfill the Millennium Development Goals … and score first among developing countries in maternal mortality, live births attended by health care personnel and female life expectancy at birth”. Cuba has made significant strides towards gender equality, providing women with

According to state.gov “The government did not release statistics during the year on arrests, prosecutions, or convictions for rape, and no reliable information regarding the incidence of rape was available.”. Gender based violence is often disregarded and is surrounded by impunity. Consequently, theses factors raise a critical need for comprehensive laws to prevent the problem as well as protect the victims. Furthermore, women lack access to higher paying jobs moreover positions in the government. With an unfair division of labor at work and home, these barriers unceasingly impede gender equality. Sexism in the workplace is a leading cause behind women’s inability to obtain higher paying jobs. Men are often selected to fill these higher paying occupations over women due to their perceived reliability. For instance, once a woman bears a child there’s a perceived notion that she will leave her career in order to raise that child. The same standards do not apply to men further facilitating their ability to obtain higher wages then their female counterparts as well as be promoted at a quicker rate. Nevertheless, underrepresentation of women in the communist party and government could be improved by

Public policy that empowers women to play a greater role in Cuba’s economy is essential. According to americasquaterly.org, “what happens economically will have repercussions politically… they (people) are better able to decide whether to work at home or travel abroad to earn a living.”. Sexual education in Cuba is very limited; males are often encouraged to pursue sexual activities, whereas women are deterred from doing the same. Notwithstanding, there is resistance from the Ministry of Education in regards to research regarding sexual attitudes. When surveyed Cuban women seem to embrace conflicting views regarding women sexuality. According to Froines, “in the interviews they (women) expressed the belief that premarital sex and infidelity were not appropriate behaviors for women”. Albeit, this double standard lacks subtlety it further fuels a negative self-concept of women’s sexual behavior. Consequently, these are these sexual politics have supplemented to a teenage pregnancy phenomenon. Women who carry on with these teenage pregnancies often lack the opportunity or resources to identify goals that motivate them to remain in school. Creating a burgeoning discrepancy of uneducated,