My grandmother used to be told by her parents not to raise her voice, to play with her dolls without interfering in her brothers' affairs. Her innocence as a child was transformed by the teachings of her gender: to serve, to take care, to be quiet, to be invisible.
Perhaps she got tired of so much submission, or she wanted to scream at some point in her life, and break the chains that oppressed her. She was born in another century, but certain mandates have not changed.
To say that in today's world women have conquered all spaces, and that there is equality between the genders would be to blindfold oneself to an obvious gap. The burden of unpaid work, gender-based violence and low political representation are just a few examples that hinder women's lives.
In this time - a little different from my grandmother's - there are other battles to be won. There are intersections that go beyond gender to include race, class, sexual orientation and other factors that perpetuate inequality.
In Cuba, societal advances go hand in hand with debates on gender issues. Legislative changes have been made to protect women and punish criminal acts. The National Program for the Advancement of Women; the Integral Strategy for the Prevention and Attention to Gender Violence and, in the family scenario, the Family Code, among others, are public policies that demonstrate progress in achieving equity. Nevertheless, challenges persist.
Although they dominate a large part of the labor force in the country, women continue to be at a disadvantage. The fact that they are responsible for raising children, caring for the family and being responsible for the welfare of the household restricts their access to public scenarios.
For example, teenage pregnancy leads to dropping out of school and limits mothers' possibilities for work and self-improvement, as well as imposing health risks and complex family dynamics.
Gender-based violence is socially pervasive in all dimensions and, although the rates may seem imperceptible, they are in fact alarm signals. Let us continue to be proactive, as stipulated by law.
Every March 8, millions of women raise their voices, in pursuit of a world of equity.
In Cuba, on the other hand, they celebrate their conquests and seek others that will make them even freer, emancipated, masters of themselves.
