Status+of+women+in+Castro's+Cuba+and+the+treatment+of+religious+groups+and+minorities

=**__STATUS OF WOMEN IN CUBA__**= The Cuban Revolution (for more information regarding the Cuban Revolution, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Revolution) heralded monumental changes economically, politically and socially, but perhaps one of its most significant advancements is its impact on the lives and status of women. Prior to the Cuban Revolution of 1959, Cuban women occupied a role that closely resembled many other patriarchal societies in Latin America at the time, and were subjected to rigid stereotypes and blatant gender discrimination. Women enjoyed few legal rights and were considered subservient to men; they were expected to sacrifice not only their academic potential, but also their health and happiness to ensure the stability and well-being of the family. However, the Revolution initiated such massive social transformations that today, Cuban women enjoy (almost) equality with men and are the envy of most other female populations in Latin America. The changing role of women is manifested in the Cuban Constitution of 1992 (for the full document, see http://www.cubanet.org/ref/dis/const_92_e.htm), which explicitly guarantees women rights and opportunities equal to those of men, specifically in the following articles:

ARTICLE 41. All citizens have equal rights and are subject to equal duties.

ARTICLE 42. Discrimination because of race, skin color, sex, national origin, religious beliefs and any other form of discrimination harmful to human dignity is forbidden and will be punished by law. The institutions of the state educate everyone from the earliest possible age in the principle of equality among human beings. ARTICLE 43. The state consecrates the right achieved by the Revolution that all citizens, regardless of race, skin color, sex, religious belief, national origin and any situation that may be harmful to human dignity. ARTICLE 44. Women and men have the same rights in the economic, political, cultural and social fields, as well as in the family. The state guarantees women the same opportunities and possibilities as men, in order to achieve woman’s full participation in the development of the country. The state looks after women's health as well as that of their offspring, giving working women paid maternity leave before and after giving birth and temporary work options compatible with their maternal activities. The state strives to create all the conditions which help make real the principle of equality.

Works Cited: **CUBAN CONSTITUTION:** "Constitution of the Republic of Cuba, 1992." __Cubanet Documents__. 1992. Cubanet News. 30 Jan. 2009 .
 * CUBAN REVOLUTION:** "Cuban Revolution." 2009. Wikipedia. 30 Jan. 2009 .
 * STATUS OF WOMEN:** "Women in Cuba." 2009. Cuba Solidarity. 30 Jan. 2009 .

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