The Impact of Fidel Castro on the Women of Cuba: An Analysis - Essay Example

October 31, 2008 The Impact of Fidel Castro on the Women of Cuba: An Analysis Introduction Women played different roles in the struggle of the Cubans for freedom and democracy. How they have been influenced by Fidel Castro is something that needs to be analyzed if only to enlighten on how the types of leadership affect women in the struggle for their rights and for their dignity and the transformation of their own society. This paper then intends to gather different literature on Fidel Castro and the women of Cuba. It intends to make an in-depth analysis of the following selected literature to establish the impact that Fidel Castro brought to the society of women in Cuba: Shayne's The Revolution Question: Feminism in El Salvador, Chile, and Cuba. Castro's "Women and the Cuban Revolution," Perez-Stable's "The Cuban Revolution," Greenaway's "Fidel Castro's Necessary Revolution," MacDonald's, "The Rebel Women of Cuba, Nosotro's "An Interesting History Essay: Revolution Effect on the Roles of Women in Russia and Cuba, " Malkin's "Fidel Castro: The Charmer and The Torturer, and many more. This research paper consists of five parts that includes, introduction, statement of the problem, presentation of argument, analysis of the different literature, and the conclusion. Statement of the Problem This paper aimed at analyzing different literature to investigate on the impact of Fidel Castro on the women of Cuba. Specifically, this paper intends to answer this question: What is the impact of Fidel Castro on the Cuban women especially in their struggle to free themselves from oppression Presentation of Argument The ultra right's contention is that Fidel Castro made Cuba as an "Animal Farm' where he used and abused women. There are many stories of Cuba turned into Fidel Castro's personal whorehouse. Many are written on how he humiliated, indignified, bedded and hunted hundreds and thousands of the Cuban women. And yet there are those who still find him very charming and eloquent. In an article Malkin (2002) stressed her disappointment and despised many of the American women in a gathering who went to see Fidel Castro who found him "charming and eloquent" and wished that those women should have stayed to see and talked to those people who have found peace only when they escaped from Castro's regime. She said that they should have stayed to talk to Eugenio de Sosa Chabau, a Cuban who fled the place after 20 years of political imprisonment and they should have learned how he was tortured, and how 14 sessions of shock therapy were delivered on his temples and testicles. While some despise Fidel Castro, others commend his leadership. In a congress, a group of women salutes him for his contribution to the women's movement. In a speech, the President of the Women's International Democratic Federation (WIDF) assured Fidel Castro their support in the struggle against imperialism and in the quest for liberty and democracy for the Cubans (ACN, 2005). This paper then intends to find out the truth on how Fidel Castro made impact in the struggle of women not only to liberate Cuba from economic bondage but to empower themselves as equals of men in their society. Analysis of Literature In her book, Shayne (2004) made a comparative study on the real contribution made by women from all aspects of life. From their daily routine to their participation in revolutionary struggles she said that they have always been undervalued. In spite of the fact that women went to the point of endangering their own lives in the form of "transporting weapons under their skirts or in their fake pregnant bellies, to working to build support for revolutionaries in grassroots communities, to providing logistical support for rebels and engaging directly in combat" they have always been less recognized for their role in the revolution. To Fidel Castro, this is not true. Many writers indicated that it was Fidel Castro that brought the idea of revolution not only to Cuba but especially to the Cuban women who have long been suffering from cultural and economic bondage. He was the effective agent instrumental for the Cuban women to organize themselves not only to the idea of revolutionary feminism but to be active participants for the success of the socialist revolution. Fidel Castro's leadership presented the road forward in the fight for the emancipation of women. In many of his speeches Fidel Castro has stressed that revolutionary victory "has meant a double liberation" for women, "who were discriminated against not only as workers but also as women" (Castro1966, as cited in Castro). One strong manifestation of the strong influence of the Fidel Castro in the active participation of women in the revolution is their role that they took while Fidel Castro was in prison and their participation in the propaganda. Che-Lives.com states: The M-26-7 movement was largely lead by women at that time. Thousands of copies of Fidel Castro's justification for the attack on Moncada, "History Will Absolve me" were printed out and distributed by women such as Melba Hernandez, Haydee Santamaria, his sister Lydia Castro, his wife Mirta Castro, and Natalia Ruvuelta. Based from other reviews, Fidel Castro really showed great influenced on women's participation in the struggle of Cuba. In September 1960 the federation of Cuban women was organized and created amidst the social revolution. Perez-Stable (1999) stressed that during in Fidel Castro's first nation addressed he mentioned the urgency to overcome discrimination against women especially in the labor. It was through him that the Labor Ministry enforced labor legislation respecting the rights of women in many aspects such as rights of pregnant women to their jobs and the duty of their employer to provide them a secure and proper working environment. It was Fidel Castro that exhorted the women to join the Agrarian Reforms, and to organize themselves to be more militant in their own interests. Fidel Castro's revolution changed the status of women in Cuba. Greenaway (2008) stated that Cuban women are now able to "pursue meaningful careers" which was not at all possible before the revolution: Revolutionary change proved to be the answer for many Cuban women, who are now able to access education, because of the emphasis on equal access, and the fact that more than half of the 55,000 doctors who graduated in 1991 were women, shows that change and equality for women is now possible because of the revolution (Nazia Shaikh, 2000 as cited by Greenaway). Conclusion: Fidel Castro through the socialist revolution has empowered women. There mare many who criticized his ideology but that is expected from the rightist's point of view. No rightist or ultra rightist would ever praise a revolutionist or a socialist like Fidel Castro. However, with the many writings that have been objectively presented and reviewed by the researcher, with the present condition of the Cuban women in the present society, it is important to stress that Fidel Castro made a great impact in the struggle of Cuban women to emancipate them from an oppressive and backward society. Fidel Castro through his inspiring speeches has exhorted the women of Cuba to be united and to be strong in their fight for their rights and to provide them educational opportunities in the Cuban workforce. Indeed Fidel Castro has done the greatest part in the conscientization of the Cuban women to work for the implementation of social and cultural education programs that changed the attitudes and values of the Cuban women. The Cuban women of today have become more vigilant in the assertion of their rights and have shown so much interest to advance themselves. They have learned to refuse to become the second class citizen who are given the minimal role of household chores. They have learned not to remain docile and passive member of the family but they have turned themselves into active agents of change in shaping their society in to a society that is more humane; jus; and equitable society. Work Cited: ACN. Women's Congress Salutes Difel Castro.. ACN, Havana. 10 April 2005, 31, October 2008 < http://embacu.cubaminrex.cu/Default.aspxtabid=3353>. Castro, Fidel. Women and the Cuban Revolution: Speeches and Documents by Fidel Castro, Vilma Espn, and others. Pathfinder. Castro, Fidel. "Vilma's Struggle: Refection by Fidel Castro. Party for Socialists and Liberation. 21, June 2007, 31 October 2008 < http://www.pslweb.org/site/News2page=NewsArticle&id=6903> Che-Lives. Com. The Revolution within the Revolution- Women and the Cuban Revolution, 31 October 2008 Fernandez, Maritza L. Situation of Woemn in Cuban Prison. ICCAS Occasional Paper Series. January 2008, 31 October 2008 < http://www6.miami.edu/iccas/Situationofwomen.pdf> Greenaway, Kelly Fidel Castro's Necessary Revolution. AC Forum. 01, October 2008. 31, October 2008 < http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1067632/ fidel_castros_necessary_revolution.htmlpage=4&cat=37> MacDonald, Bob. "The Rebel Women of Cuba". Toronto Sun, 27 March 2005, 31 October 2008 . Malkin, Michelle. "Fidel Castro: The Charmer and the Torturer. Capitalism Magazine, 28 January 2002, 31 October 2008 < http://www.capmag.com/article.aspID=1382> Nosotro, Rit. " An Interesting History Essay Revolution Effect on the Roles of Women in Russia and Cuba ." Hyperhistory.net. 15 June 2006, 31 Oct. 2008 . Perez-Stable, Marifli. The Cuban Revolution: Origin, Course, and Legacy. Us: Oxford University Press, 1999. 31 October 2008 < http://books.google.com/booksid=QUgmreF2LiwC&pg=PA76&lpg=PA76&dq=women+in+the+revolution+of+fidel+castro&source=web&ots=3Sh8VT9oqJ&sig=davRCXbyUQwWbT8X3ogVhOI4LEQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result#PPA77,M1http://books.google.com/booksid=QUgmreF2LiwC&pg=PA76&lpg=PA76&dq=women+in+the+revolution+of+fidel+castro&source=web&ots=3Sh8VT9oqJ&sig=davRCXbyUQwWbT8X3ogVhOI4LEQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result#PPA77,M1http://books.google.com/booksid=QUgmreF2LiwC&pg=PA76&lpg=PA76&dq=women+in+the+revolution+of+fidel+castro&source=web&ots=3Sh8VT9oqJ&sig=davRCXbyUQwWbT8X3ogVhOI4LEQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result#PPA77,M1 http://books.google.com/booksid=QUgmreF2LiwC&pg=PA76&lpg=PA76&dq=women+in+the+revolution+of+fidel+castro&source=web&ots=3Sh8VT9oqJ&sig=davRCXbyUQwWbT8X3ogVhOI4LEQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result#PPA77,M1 Shayne, Julie D. The Revolution Question: Feminism in El Salvador, Chile, and Cuba. New Brunswick, NY: Rutgers University Press, 2004. *Prevost, Gary, "Cuba," in Vanden & Prevost (Ch.13) *Shayne, Julie. 2004. The Revolutionary Question: Feminisms in El Salvador, Chile, and Cuba. Rutgers University Press. "Cuba Timeline" (pp.173-175) *Shayne, Julie. 2004. The Revolutionary Question: Feminisms in El Salvador, Chile, and Cuba. Rutgers University Press. "The Cuban Insurrection through a feminist lens, 1952-1959" (pp. 115-134) *Lutjens, Sheryl. 1995. "Reading between the lines: women, the state, and rectification in Cuba." Latin American Perspectives, Vol. 22, No. 2(Spring): 100-124. *Domingues, Jorge. 1993. "The Secrets of Castro's Staying Power." Foreign Affairs, Vol. 72, No. 2 (Spring): 97-107. *Salazar, Luis Suarez. 2006. "Cuba's Foreign Policy and the Promise of ALBA." NACLA Report on the Americas, Vol. 39, No. 4 (Jan/Feb): 27-44. Introduction - A statement of the problem - Presentation of argument - Analysis of the text (the longest part) - Conclusion (related to the analysis and the argument) In the introductory paragraph you will acquaint the reader with the text to be discussed and classify its character. Every literary work raises at least one major problem. In the second part of your essay you will define the idea of the text under discussion. Read More