Women Revolutionaries in Cuba
A Revolution within a Revolution: The Motivations, Ambitions and Roles of Women in the Cuban Revolution 1953-1959
Caitlyn Griffith
History 244
Dr. Erik Ching
May 4 2010
Introduction
In the United State, the 1950’s is commonly referred to as the era of conformity. Prosperity of the post war years left people dazzled by new technology, commuting to the suburbs and settling into wholesale purchase of the American Dream. Women were donning aprons and pearls, the uniform of the perfect house wife while men were bowing to bosses, briefcase in hand, to fulfill their breadwinner duties. Just ninety miles south of the Florida coast, however there was a tremendously different kind of era underway. Thousands of Cubans took up arms against Dictator Fulgencio Batista, determined to see a successful revolution that would bring justice to the poor and rights to the oppressed. Women also joined the revolution by the hundreds, using their skirts to transport bombs, their pocket books to smuggle cash and their homes to hide guerrillas. Revolutionary women played an active and heroic role in the Cuban Revolution in the late 1950’s often risking everything in the name of justice. In this paper, I will utilize personal testimonies of women revolutionaries as well as scholarly commentary to explore the motivation, ambition and role of women in the Cuban Revolution from 1953-1959. Additionally, I will look at what Fidel Castro and the leadership of the July 26 Movement articulate to be women’s role in the revolution and consider how this contributes to women’s liberation. I conclude that women did not join the anti-Batista movement in spite of their femininity but instead were motivated to join the Revolution by reasons unique to their experience of pre-revolutionary Cuba as women in traditional gender roles. As such, the role they played in the revolution was consistent with traditional gender ideology and the jobs they did were most
Caitlyn Griffith
History 244
Dr. Erik Ching
May 4 2010
Introduction
In the United State, the 1950’s is commonly referred to as the era of conformity. Prosperity of the post war years left people dazzled by new technology, commuting to the suburbs and settling into wholesale purchase of the American Dream. Women were donning aprons and pearls, the uniform of the perfect house wife while men were bowing to bosses, briefcase in hand, to fulfill their breadwinner duties. Just ninety miles south of the Florida coast, however there was a tremendously different kind of era underway. Thousands of Cubans took up arms against Dictator Fulgencio Batista, determined to see a successful revolution that would bring justice to the poor and rights to the oppressed. Women also joined the revolution by the hundreds, using their skirts to transport bombs, their pocket books to smuggle cash and their homes to hide guerrillas. Revolutionary women played an active and heroic role in the Cuban Revolution in the late 1950’s often risking everything in the name of justice. In this paper, I will utilize personal testimonies of women revolutionaries as well as scholarly commentary to explore the motivation, ambition and role of women in the Cuban Revolution from 1953-1959. Additionally, I will look at what Fidel Castro and the leadership of the July 26 Movement articulate to be women’s role in the revolution and consider how this contributes to women’s liberation. I conclude that women did not join the anti-Batista movement in spite of their femininity but instead were motivated to join the Revolution by reasons unique to their experience of pre-revolutionary Cuba as women in traditional gender roles. As such, the role they played in the revolution was consistent with traditional gender ideology and the jobs they did were most