Caring in Crisis: For Fathers
Photo from Cuban Documentary Soy Papá.. de Cualquier Manera directed by Lisette Vila.
June 19,2020
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Who bears the responsibility for care? As we discussed in January, an important step in building a more caring society is stepping back to ask this question, and then working toward a more equitable distribution of the joys and burdens of this work.
It is fitting, at a moment when we are all becoming acutely aware of the connections between care, gender, race, and so many other issues, that this 14th edition of our Caring in Crisis newsletter falls on the weekend of both Juneteenth and Father’s Day. Today’s message is dedicated to fathers and fatherhood, but we also celebrate liberation of all kinds. After a short update on Cuba’s response to COVID-19, we turn to the topic of gender in Cuba and share a reflection from Havana on the project to transform masculine stereotypes and paternal practices. Wishing a Happy Father’s Day to the many fathers in our network in Cuba and beyond who care.
Warmly – Sarah, Justine and Mariakarla
COVID-19 in Cuba
After 99 days living amidst pandemic, the government of Cuba announces that it is ready to start its progressive reopening plan. On Thursday, the island entered phase one of the post Covid-19 recovery in all areas except for Havana and Matanzas, which are still reporting new cases (as of last night, Cuba reports 10 new confirmed cases, for a total of 181 active cases). This stage includes partial resumption of local public transport and inter-provincial travel. School is scheduled to resume in the fall. Cuba plans to reopen beach resorts located on offshore islands, which will be served directly by charter flights from Europe and Canada, during phase 2. The government has not yet announced when international commercial flights to the island will be authorized, but has explained that at that time, all visitors will have to follow strict health protocols including temperature checks and PCR (rapid diagnostic) tests at the airport.
John Hopkins University reports that Cuba has relatively low mortality rates among confirmed COVID-19 patients – 3.7% compared to 5.4% in the U.S. and 11.1% in Spain.
A small brigade of 20 doctors and nurses travelled on Monday to the sister Caribbean nation Turks and Caicos. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) highlighted on Tuesday the work of Cuba in reducing the incidence of the COVID-19 pandemic and praised the efficient tracking of the contagion chain.
Gender Equity and Fatherhood in Cuba
Cuba has a long history of working toward gender equity. The revolution sought to decrease inequalities by increasing representation of women in professional spheres, equalizing access to education, and offering childcare to working women.
Today, many Cuban advocates are changing the focal point of the gender question away from simply “empowering women” and toward transforming negative forms of masculinity. Various policy changes, including extending families the choice between paid parental leave for mothers, fathers, or other caretakers, have helped to provide infrastructures for such change. However, the fact that so few men have yet to take paternity leave shows that there is also social and cultural work to be done.
Fathers who care – Notes from Havana
Alexey “El Tipo Este” Rodriguez and Julio Cesar Gonzalez Pages are two men who have immersed themselves in this work. Julio Cesar is a writer and professor at the Unviersity of Havana. He has written books including Macho, varón, masculino and collaborated on documentaries such as “En busca de un espacio." Alexey is a hip-hop artist, member of the group Obsesión, part of the Club de Espendrú, and co-founder of ReglaSOUL. For father's day, they share their professional and personal experiences with fatherhood
Julio Cesar writes: For more than 20 years, we have been working on masculinity in Cuba, as a way to identify and prevent the “machista” ideology that has done so much social and human damage. Because “micro-machismos” (daily instances of behavior patterned on negative masculine stereotypes) are constantly reproduced in many spheres, we intervene in a variety of different areas in order to help create better public policy.
One of these priority spheres for intervention is fatherhood, and the role that fathers play in education. Several things stand in the way of a true improvement of paternal practices: the absence of public policies directed toward educating fathers to take on more parental responsibilities; the resistance of some fathers to breaking the rigid stereotypes that have been socially constructed and assigned to them; and the fear that showing more care, love and dedication to their children will somehow affect their own masculine identities, or that of their sons.
In the hegemonic model of masculinity that is present in our societies, fatherhood is associated with the role of economic provider and with characteristics such as authority, strength, and rationality. This definition of fatherhood stands in stark contrast to the parallel paradigm of motherhood, associated with direct care, understanding, affection, emotional support, and physical contact.
Reversing this situation is not an easy task, but we can – and must – begin in our own families. It doesn’t matter if we aren’t parents. From our roles in the family – as brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandmothers, or grandfathers – we can help to initiate changes. The question is whether or not we continue to reproduce socially established stereotypes and behaviors, or fight against them, in search of a happier family life.
Alexey writes: There is definitely not – at least in my opinion – a manual for being a good father. But I do believe that there are certain basic lessons of fatherhood, and for learning these I have to give credit to a combination of two great influences on my life - my parents and hip-hop – because I am a result of these influences.
It has been important for me to have a critical sense of the context in which I live, because this allows me to create the tools that I need for helping my daughter to grow up an independent thinker with her own views. I see that many black girls grow up with low self-esteem, so I use games and other things to try and make sure that she sees the value of being who she is. I like that she questions me (she can drive me crazy!) when she thinks I should be questioned, but that she always does so with a sense of respect. It’s wonderful to have family support on this.
I always make sure that she sees that it’s not bad to feel afraid, that papa feels afraid too, and that what defines us is how we respond to fear. Whenever possible I show her the options that are available to her, in order to strengthen her power to make decisions. I talk to her, trying to substitute the world of princesses (which reigns in the imaginations of our girls for many reasons that are sometimes connected to the family environment and sometimes apart from it)… I substitute princesses for real life women who can serve as inspiration, starting with Nehanda Abiodum, whose name my daughter carries. Nehanda Afenia is my daughter’s name.
The birth of my daughter has hugely impacted my identity as a man because, to begin with, I’ve recognized my own macho traits in what I do not want for my daughter in her relationships with boys, youths, and men. Also, in everything I do now, whether in art or in my daily relationships with women, I think about my daughter, and what she would think of me There is no way I can get that out of my head…
More than any of the projects that I have worked on, the one that has most impacted myself and others is OBSESION. OBSESION has also become a project about gender, and the impact that my partner Magia has had on me in this sense is invaluable. The objective of all of our gender projects is to put on the table – in a clear, creative way and using accessible language – those issues around gender that are taboo – or shall we say, not common in social debate. We discuss them, question customs and traditions that lead to a pain and pressure in life, we enhance self-esteem and self-care, and we make visible the social schemes that reproduce patriarchy. To do this, we hold workshops and events, and convene meetings of many different types… anything can become an opportunity to introduce the theme of gender.
