Being a Cuban Woman Almost a Year After Covid-19

Being a Cuban Woman Almost a Year After Covid-19
Fecha de publicación: 
11 March 2021
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It's easy to say, but it's been a year since the Sars-Cov-2 entered Cuba and together with it, a huge nightmare.

The nightmare has been for everyone, but since yesterday was Women's Day, it’s well worth dwelling on how much that filthy creature, that quasi-bug has impacted on the lives of Cuban women in particular.

Because in Cuba, like in most of the world, we still drag prejudices, with gender approaches marked by patriarchal burdens, Cuban women, many times, have had to “take the blunt of the blow”.

With residents at home staying longer than usual, sometimes entire days, with the deficiencies that have exacerbated by making long lines and with the need to sanitize surfaces and wash clothes much more frequently, things are harder for them now.

Of course, no generalization is worth in these cases, just as it would not be worth talking about "the Cuban family." Many kinds of families live today in this geography and for that reason, it would not be sensible to affirm that what is described is common to all.

Undoubtedly, there are Cubans who have had the support and, more than help with an equitable distribution of tasks, considered, without the classic distribution of roles. Some, because it was already happening like that; and others, because precisely at this very difficult point everyone at home has reconsidered that household chores should be shared, especially if they have to be combined with work, either distanced or going to the workplace.

This is also part of a "new normalcy", regardless of the phase or stage each territory is going through.

Unfortunately, while in some homes these family dynamic adjustments have been made, in others not only "everything remains the same ", but worse. Because confinement, social distancing, stress together with the threats of the pandemic, have brought other evils such as domestic violence.

No wonder has increased public messages associated with this issue and even telephone numbers to call in case these extreme situations happen.

There are those who still think that domestic violence is only physical violence, but it’s also yelling, throwing objects, or silent treatment, or contempt, mockery, verbal humiliation ...

They are realities that we shouldn’t ignore, nor the display of creativeness and solidarity on the other side of the story has distinguished this stage of Cuban women. Either creating recipes to try to vary, as much as possible, the short home menu, looking for solutions so that everything is clean and tidy.

If we are to speak of the work of Cuban women, then we would have to clap our hands until exhaustion. Because in this area, many times the matter is close to literally life risking. This has been the case, without fear or hesitation and with a great deal of responsibility, especially health workers, of course.

It’s worth mentioning the mothers, wives, aunts, grandmothers of those other health workers who say farewell every morning with the same phrase: "take care", "be careful"... or similar, but all said with that flutter of fright in the heart which is appeased only by subordinating the love for one to the love for all.

Let’s congratulate each other, embrace each other, and more than any bouquet of flowers, more than any postcard or gift, the recognition of those we love –sometimes as many as a whole people, the country– is the best gift.

Translated by: Amilkal Labañino Valdes / Cubasi Translation Staff

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