A Family Code that reflects the transformations that Cuban society has undergone in recent years

By María Josefina Arce

A Family Code that reflects the transformations that Cuban society has undergone in recent years and that contributes to the construction of a fairer and more inclusive country is the commitment of Cuban authorities.

On this path, the debates on the draft bill continue, which since last Wednesday has involved public and private entities linked to family law.

At this stage, there are exchanges with representatives of the Ministries of Education, Higher Education, Public Health and Justice, as well as with religious institutions and faculties of the University of Havana such as Law, Communication and Philosophy and History.

This process will be extended throughout October and will also take into account, as usual in the largest of the Antilles, the opinions and suggestions of the population, for which the document and an e-mail address have been made available to all to send their criteria.

Having a strengthened and comprehensive Code, as stated by President Miguel Díaz Canel, is the objective of these exchanges, which are today a priority for a society that aspires to improve its social justice model.

The 22nd version of the Preliminary Draft regulates the rights recognized in the new Constitution proclaimed in April 2019, after an exhaustive analysis by the citizenry and endorsed in a popular plebiscite by nearly 87% of Cubans who voted on that historic day on February 24 two years ago.

This new text emphasizes the right of every person to form a family, to respect the free development of his or her personality, privacy and personal and family life project.

Of great importance is that it reflects the prerogatives of children and young people to be heard within the family, which must guarantee the necessary conditions for their good physical and emotional development.

Regarding women, the document, experts say, contains the essence and actions of the founder of the FMC, Federation of Cuban Women, Vilma Espín, who defended the right of this segment of the population to occupy their rightful place in society.

Family violence based on gender, against children and adolescents, the elderly and the disabled is also included in the bill, which stresses that whoever uses any type of violence must respond in accordance with the provisions of family and criminal legislation.

The Family Code approved in 1975 strengthened the actions of the state in pursuit of equality among its members and set the precedent to continue working for the welfare of the Cuban family. That is why a new document is needed that takes into account the changes that have been taking place and is also in accordance with the Constitution.