WBASNY in Cuba

While Cuba is emerging as a tourist destination, it still has problems providing enough food to its people while cater- ing to its rapidly increasing number of visitors. During our visit in October, our group could see that food was in short supply for many Cubans. The government provides a small monthly ra- tion of the most basic nutri- tional necessities, and some food is available for purchase in a nascent “free market” economy. As tourists, our meals were ample. But in general, the food was not the highlight of the trip. We started our tour in Va- radero, a resort town about two hours from Havana. The hotel Melia had many options for dining, including a 24 - hour café, but the food didn’t seem authentically Cuban. It was built to cater to large groups and many of the meals were served “cafeteria” style. The Cuban coffee served in the morning was excellent, as were the omelets. Unfortu- nately, other offerings, includ- ing the pancakes, breads, and meats, were mediocre. On the other hand, we had a wide array of options for din- ner, some in beautiful settings overlooking the ocean. It’s hard to beat their outside bar with a margarita or Cuban beer in hand. THE RESTAURANT SCENE IN CUBA By Sandra Schpoont

Cuba’s emerging private sector. Throughout its history the FMC has been focused on raising the level and status of women’s em- ployment in the Cuban economy. At the time of the revolution, only 25% of Cuban women were em- ployed outside the home. After the revolution, women who worked went into the service sec- tor, including teaching and child care. With the literacy campaign that began in 1959, which brought near universal literacy to the Cu- ban population, and a focus on free and universal education for all Cuban children, far more wom- en became educated and trained for a wide range of employment opportunities. Today Cuba has the one of the highest literacy rates among countries in the world. Equal pay is the law in Cuba: women and men are paid the same wage for the same job. It seems that law and government have become professions of choice for more recent genera- tions of Cuban women. In 2016, women make up 61% of all attor- neys in Cuba; 49% of the judges; and 47% of the Judges of the Su- preme Court. Women hold 33% of the positions of Minister (among them: Education, Fi- nance, Justice Water, and Food Security), and 45% of the Council of Ministers (which includes Vice Ministers) of the Cuban govern- ment. The level of participation of Cuban women in the courts and in government far exceeds the rates in the U.S. The FMC has been very active in the legislative arena over the years. It was very influential in the revision of the Family Code (the domestic relations law),

which since 1975 has provided equal property and social rights to Cuban women in their home and at divorce; paid maternity leave; and more recently equal maternity and paternity leave. In our discussions, the leaders of the FMC acknowledged that sex- ist behavior still manifests social- ly. Cuba has a history of more than 500 years of patriarchal rule and conduct, including hundreds of years of slavery. FMC is wag- ing a campaign against violence against women and recently es- tablished two national telephone complaint lines, monitored by staff Cuba’s Attorney General, that women may use to report inci- dents of violence or threatening behavior if their local police are not responsive. The FMC also works to sensitize families and employers to issues of gender inequality in an effort to “undo” the pervasive cultural baggage of “machismo.” As a member of a women’s or- ganization devoted to obtaining equal justice for women in New York, I was struck by the remarka- ble level of gender equality in Cu- ban law and policy. Cuban wom- en are secure in the exercise of legal and political rights that we in the United States still struggle for – access to free reproductive health care, including contracep- tion and abortion; free govern- ment sponsored health care gen- erally; universal free education offered equally to girls and boys through graduate school; and food security. Women lead major ministries of the government at significant, and growing, rates. The FMC should receive enor- mous credit for these accomplish- ments on behalf of women in Cu- ba.

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