(EFE).- The number of femicides is on the rise in Cuba, something that the activists attribute to the “weak network of family and community support” since many cases of sexist violence.
In the first half of the year, 24 women died violently, there were four attempted attacks and one vicarious murder was verified, according to the independent platform Yo SíTeCreo in Cuba, which together with other organizations collects this data in the absence of an official count.
In comparison, this group verified 36 femicides in the whole of last year and 32 in 2020, including four vicarious murders.
With reports that reached four cases of sexist violence a week, that platform denounced to Efe that, in case they make the complaints, the authorities do not act against the aggressor.
Another of the patterns documented and shared with Efe by a spokeswoman who asked to remain anonymous is “the naturalization that violence prior to femicide has, not only institutionally, but also in the family and community.”
Many women manage to get out of that cycle of violence, but others “end up being killed because something or all of the institutional, family and community fails,” sources from the group lamented.
Yo SíTeCreo in Cuba verified 36 femicides in the whole of last year and 32 in 2020, including four vicarious murders
YoSiTeCreo sources in Cuba explained to Efe that most of the victims are young people from rural communities and that the aggressors are usually partners or ex-partners.
The last case that this group has registered is a sexist attack on August 18 in Vertientes (east). In it the Cuban Yodeisi Fabelo she was injured, but her 7-year-old daughter died.
The average age of the victims was 29.6 years, while in the first six months of 2021 it was 36.9, according to data from feminist platforms collated by Efe. At least 43.7% of the women were murdered by their current partner and 37.5% left orphaned children.
Cuba does not publish figures on sexist violence. The most recent data on this topic is that of a 2016 National Gender Equality Survey, in which 10,698 women were questioned.
The survey indicates that 26.7% of Cuban women between the ages of 15 and 74 claimed to have suffered some type of violence in their partner relationship in the twelve months prior to the study and that only 3.7% of the attacked asked for institutional help.
Efe requested an interview with the official Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) and for the moment has not received a response.
The most recent data on this topic is that of a 2016 National Survey on Gender Equality, in which 10,698 women were questioned
“In the case of Cuba, there is an increase in public complaints and visibility of cases, especially on the Internet and social networks,” the deputy regional director of UN Women for the Americas and the Caribbean, Cecilia, told Efe via email. Germany.
The head of UN Women stressed, however, that “all femicides, regardless of their number” are “alarming.”
She added that UN Women has been working together for more than a decade with government institutions and Cuban organizations, including the FMC, despite not having offices in the country.
Alemany pointed out that the increased visibility of the cases promotes “sensitization in public opinion, the mobilization of civil society and the adoption of specific laws to prevent and punish them.”
In his opinion, among the factors of sexist violence are “the prevalence of gender stereotypes”, as well as “traditional social norms that are at the base of inequities, discrimination and violence”.
Yo SíTeCreo in Cuba identifies a new phenomenon in Cuba that is directly related to the maximum expression of sexist violence: the disappearance of women and girls.
“Many lead to sexual and other femicides,” commented the activists, who also warn about the late reaction of relatives when denouncing.
The Island does not have the notification system for missing children known in the world as the Amber Alert, an issue that YoSiTeCreo in Cuba describes as a “deficiency” of its own work.
“The families of the victims usually behave in a withdrawn and silent way due to the heavy loss they suffer and the many problems to solve, especially when the victim leaves behind minor children,” according to the group interviewed by Efe.
The Island does not have the notification system for missing children known in the world as Amber Alert.
Many minors are left in the care of their grandparents, who sometimes “do not have the strength or the resources to face care.”
Yo SíTeCreo in Cuba denounces this “precarious situation” and underlines “the need for specific support for families affected by femicides.”
Another issue shared with Efe is the fact that the families of the victims “have not organized themselves to solve common problems, or try to influence mechanisms for justice and reparation, not only for the victims but also for their children.”
For this reason, the independent platforms demand a law against gender violence and criticize the Government for not classifying femicide as a crime in the new Penal Code, approved last May, despite the fact that it contemplates gender-based violence.
The UN Women representative does not, however, see this issue as decisive. “Its existence will not necessarily imply a decline in gender-based violence, the causes of which are rooted in patriarchal culture,” she said.
In his opinion, “in addition to the laws, there should also be communication campaigns, education at all levels, work in the communities.”
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