Whenever money and/or material goods are used to blackmail, abuse or coerce women, economic violence comes into play.
«This is one of the most common male-chauvinistic behaviors,» said economist Teresa Lara.
She highlighted the fact that these acts often involve physical and psychological abuse, because they are based on unequal power relations between men and women.
There are over 2.7 million economically active women in Cuba today. They make up 66 percent of professionals and technicians, according to the latest Population and Housing Census conducted by the National Office of Statistics and Information.
There are, however, over 1.6 million housewives (92 percent of those in charge of household chores in the country).
As they are not economically independent, they are vulnerable to abuse.
«Gender-based violence occurs when a woman is not allowed to study, get a job or make a career,» Lara emphasized.
A time-use survey had shown in 2002 that women worked longer than men and were simultaneously involved in cooking, cleaning, washing, and looking after the children.
These chores, however, are not recognized as contributions to domestic arts and are not accounted for in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
These acts of violence can be eliminated only if all family members share household chores.
«There is a need to remove gender stereotypes and prejudices,» Lara remarked.
«Political will is of the essence to address and, eventually, do away with the root causes,» she concluded.
Translated by Adolfo Fuentes
