Cuban women push to join business opening, cite obstacles

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ
Associated Press

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba was an early leader in recognizing women’s rights and equality after Fidel Castro’s revolution in 1959. Women were put in positions of power and responsibility, and the government legalized abortion and created day care centers, steps that allowed women to join the workforce alongside men. Yet Cuban women who are seeking to take part in the island’s gradual opening to independent small businesses say they are facing unique challenges put up by a patriarchal society that expects women to be homemakers and favors men and male-owned businesses.