SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba, Nov 5 (ACN) “The draft of the new Family Code protects us as women and, therefore, we must read it carefully, discuss it with our families, and defend it in the popular consultation,” said Yanelis Boga Martinez, ideological officer of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) in the province of Santiago de Cuba.
“[The Code] protects families and women in a context of gender equality by recognizing diversity and reproduction rights and equity in the family space and by calling on our institutions and communities to implement gender strategies,” she remarked.
An important inclusion is the economic valuation of homebound jobs such as caregiving for the elderly or the disabled and the reinforcement of figures such as that of vulnerable ex-spouses through the provision of pensions and safeguards for children and senior citizens.
“It also enshrines women’s right to not be mistreated and the categorization of all forms of violence, be it physical, psychological, economic or sexual,” Ms. Boga Martínez added.
Mirna Méndez, professor of Law at the Universidad de Oriente, considered the inclusion of gender violence in family legislation to be a very positive step, since it was only reflected in the criminal code and, to a lesser extent, in administrative law, and stressed the need to include the fact that violence can occur in both public and private spaces.
“There are also provisions regarding the recognition of custody and care of minors shared by both parents and the regulation of parental responsibility in the legal, digital and family communication areas,” Ms. Méndez commented.
Provincial FMC leaders participated together with the Union of Jurists in the specialized consultations for the discussion of the Preliminary Draft of the Family Code in order to gain the necessary legal knowledge for future debates at the level of grassroots delegations.