Cuba, dismantling gender stereotypes

Ania Terrero is a journalist and the mother of Ainoa, a three-year-old girl. She frequently writes an editorial column on gender issues and recognizes in this exercise a tool to become more aware, and to educate other people. about the prejudices and challenges that persist in this regard in Cuba.

Like other Cubans, Ania has suffered in her own flesh throughout her life, but in a special way recently, when she verified the survival of marked gender roles around motherhood.

Several of the stereotypes identified in the National Gender Equality Survey are precisely linked to this issue. Almost 60% of the population subscribes, for example, that babies need more closeness from the mother than from the fatherand a similar figure estimates that women are more affectionate than men when caring for girls and boys.

But those taboos are not the only ones. The same survey determined that the number of people between the ages of 15 and 74 who reproduce ideas or gender stereotypes in the country exceeds 95%.

The National Report of Cuba to the Beijing +25 Summit identifies gender stereotypes as the first obstacle to the purpose of advancing faster towards equality between men and women.

UN support

Taking this context as a reference, the United Nations in Cuba dedicated this year the 16 days of activism against gender violence* to dismantle stereotypes, and capitalized on the experience of journalists and communicators such as Ania, gender specialists and national activists, to implement the initiative Generation Equality – Unite from Cuba, in connection with the global campaign launched several years ago by UN Women.

Constructed in a participatory manner, together with the Federation of Cuban Women, and the Gender and Communication groups of different UN agencies, the proposal included audiovisuals, products for social networks and a self-diagnosis of stereotypes, as tools to promote debate fundamentally between the young audience.

The campaign is based on recognizing the negative impact of gender stereotypes on the lives of women and men, and identifies them as catalysts for discrimination and violence.

Though “Generation Equality-Join from Cuba” has broken into these days of activism with new products, in reality the fight against gender stereotypes is a permanent goal of the United Nations in Cuba.

For Consuelo Vidal, who until recently served as Resident Coordinator, the highest representative of the UN in a country, this type of prejudice “naturalizes gender gaps and limit women’s access to participation, paid work and their sources of livelihood”.

This opinion is shared by his replacement, Francisco Pichón, who has ratified the Organization’s commitment to the gender priorities contained in the Cooperation Framework, such as the fight against stigma and discrimination, the economic empowerment of women, support to services such as sexual and reproductive health, and support for the formulation and implementation of gender-focused policies.

For now, the Uníte de Cuba campaign is already promoting new alliances and plans, beyond December 10, to add activists from universities, research centers and civil society organizations. “

We are becoming more and more -confesses the young Claudio Peláez, author of several of the audiovisuals produced-. It is a cultural fight that must be fought and we are fighting it. enough of straitjackets that don’t help at allprevent us from enjoying life and impose rigid positions on human relationships”.

Poster of the campaign #Generation Equality – Unite from Cuba.

Main data from the survey on stereotypes

• 59.9% of women and 63.9% of men “agree” or “agree in part” that “women should not participate in activities that involve physical effort.”
• More than 60% of people consider that the trades of electrician, bricklayer, mechanic, carpenter and plumber are “not suitable” for women
• As “not suitable” jobs for men, there are cleaning assistant (45.3%), secretary (31.3%), caring for other people (26%), teacher of preschool children (15.5%) and nursing (12.5%)
• 53.6% of men continue to think that “they are better at negotiating than women” and 45% also think that “they are better at making decisions”
• 48% of men agree that “women should always please their partner sexually” and 38% of women agree that “men should always be pleased”

* An annual international campaign calling for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls is launched on November 25. The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence begin on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and extend until December 10, Human Rights Day.