Aliuska breathed fear for decades. At 50 years old, the echo of screams and the shadow of threats were part of her family life. Her first escape, when her daughter was just 9 years old, was an attempt stifled by the panic of losing her child, a fear that her abuser used perfectly.
One day, she mustered up the courage, without taking much so as not to attract attention, packed some of her belongings, and left. Now her daughter is over 20 and understands that her mother is not safe, that her father is not the guardian she always idealized. She now lives in another province, works, goes out with friends for the first time in years, and laughs freely. She is happy and does not fear for her life.
This joy came from her daughter. Her offspring filled her with courage, empowered her, and gave her wings. She spends more time on the road visiting her mother than she does in her own home, despite being married and having responsibilities. She feels that she is her mother's guardian, whom she must keep safe.
Luisa, for her part, faced the heartbreak of a separation that fractured her daily life with her teenage children. They decided to stay with their father after the divorce, a decision that added layers of pain to years of abuse.
For a long time, silence and a smile behind the despair of not knowing what to do were her armor. She is a woman, she is a victim, and she knows it. Her children visit her; they currently live with her for a few days and with their father for a few days; they now have two homes and understand the decisions their mother made.
It wasn't easy, but she is now building a new life, with a partner who supports her and backs her up in every decision, on every night of worry. Now everything is shared...
Gender-based violence is not an isolated episode; it is a chain of silences, fears, and wounds that entangle the soul and the home. Breaking it requires titanic strength, often found in love for one's children, in a flash of rediscovered dignity, or in a hand extended at just the right moment.
Our province has one of the highest rates of violence against women. Faced with such a threat, a legal and institutional framework, although still under construction and facing enormous challenges, seeks to weave a network of protection.
FROM RECOGNITION TO CONCRETE ACTION
These stories do not occur in a vacuum. They unfold in a context where Cuban legislation has taken significant steps to name, classify, and combat domestic and gender-based violence. Aliubis Fernández González, director of the Collective Law Offices Unit in Las Tunas, explains that the National Program for the Advancement of Women in Cuba (PAM in Spanish) establishes a state policy that translates into institutional actions.
"When we talk about violence, we think that the only form is physical, but it is important to highlight other forms: psychological, online, and domestic violence, which can occur in any direction within the domestic nucleus.
“The new Family Code, which replaced an obsolete regulation, represents a radical change. The new law refers to violence, not only gender-based violence, but also domestic violence. This codification is crucial, as it specifically defines what violence is, its subtypes and manifestations, which is the first step towards its prosecution and punishment.”
Fernández González gives an everyday and normalized example of economic and psychological violence, in which women, dedicated exclusively to the home and caregiving, see their unpaid work rendered invisible.
"It has been believed that she has never managed to bring anything into the home, which destroys her autonomy and right to express her opinion. The new Code, however, grants her clear rights in the event of divorce, such as financial compensation or temporary alimony if she has no means of subsistence of her own. This is not only financial reparation, but it is also legal recognition of the value of her work and a blow to gender stereotypes."
SUPPORT, PROJECTS... A REFUGE
Between the law and its implementation lies the effectiveness of institutions in the territory. Yudith Acosta García, ideologist for the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC in Spanish) in the province, recognizes the seriousness of the problem. Faced with this reality, she points out that support mechanisms are in place.
"The gateway for most victims is the Women's and Family Guidance Centers, which are present in all eight municipalities. There, FMC workers offer initial counseling and, most importantly, support."
"The first step is to go to the police station; we provide them with all the guidance they need and accompany them throughout the process. Something that can happen in these types of cases is that the victim is intimidated and revictimized during the proceedings," she points out.
Currently, two key projects are underway in our province, focusing on assisting all victims who come to this organization seeking guidance. The most innovative one aims to create a shelter for victims of violence.
"This space will focus on one of the most dangerous flaws in the process: the woman's return home after filing a complaint, where she is exposed to reprisals.
"We want them to feel safe when they enter this institution. They can stay for up to 72 hours, together with their children, receiving psychological and social support, while the authorities take action against the aggressor."
"The other pillar is the No Más (No More) project, which seeks to integrate all the institutions involved (FMC, Police, Prosecutor's Office, Provincial Directorate of Justice, Education, and Health) into a single system. The idea is that women do not have to go from one office to another, but rather find a coordinated path of care. We must bear in mind that sometimes they arrive with their children, which is why we provide all this support," emphasizes the member of the women's organization.
Follow-up, with family dynamics and visits to the children at school, completes a model that aims not leave victims alone after the initial trauma.
The fight against gender violence is a long-distance race. It requires courageous laws such as the Family Code, but also continuous training for operators, social sensitivity to eradicate stereotypes, and, above all, a firm belief in women's words. The goal, distant but clear, is that no Cuban woman will need to “summon up the courage” to flee, because fear will no longer be part of her home.