Women’s health has been the subject of controversy and debate throughout history, especially with regard to sexuality and reproduction.
These topics were taboo during many years, and today, although considerable progress has been made in this area, prejudices, insecurities and lack of knowledge still persist.
This is not the only health problem faced by women, as other problems such as the saturation of domestic work, raising children and taking care of the home, threaten both physical and psychological wellbeing.
Against this backdrop, the creation of mechanisms and organizations that defend women’s right to stable health came as a response to a matter of urgency.
Such is the case of the Women’s Global Network for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, which in 1987 designated May 28 as the date to celebrate the International Day of Action for Women’s Health.
Since then, the most common causes of female mortality have been addressed from a scientific perspective, and work has been done in the search for alternatives and treatments to reverse, or at least to placate, these situations.In Cuba, there is political will to support women in the struggle for their rights, which include physical and mental fulfillment. However, there is still a long way to go to pay off the debts of a past in which their well-being was not taken into account.
For Cuban women today, achieving a happy and balanced lifestyle can often be difficult. The complications of everyday life, shortages or intra-family problems are obstacles to overcome; however, with the support of the rest of the family, the equitable distribution of household chores and timely medical care, it is possible that the traditional burden of women may be more bearable.
Health, in any of its dimensions, is a woman’s inherent right, because of her condition as a human being; it is a privilege that should never have been denied.
Written by Yadila Mesa Chacón, journalist student.
