So my holiday to Cuba opened my eyes to the plight of women in vulnerable situations.
I’m no historian and don’t know all there is to know about Cuban culture, but Cuban life can be difficult. It can be hard.
Cuba is run as a communist country. The people have little freedom and are expected to conform to the laws of the land. I guess we all have to abide by the law of the land to a certain degree but for Cubans, this makes opportunities a little more complicated. The education system in Cuba is amazing. The country provides state of the art education and continues right through to university level. So most Cubans you meet will have studied to degree level or further. Unfortunately, due to the way the country is run, people are no better off in pursuing the job that accompanies their qualifications.
You see, our friend, is a qualified engineer. His job, you would think, would be working for an engineering company? His certificate of engineering is displayed proudly in the family home. But no, our friend is a manager in a hotel.
In fact, most people opt to work in the tourism industry because they can earn more money.
It is quite surreal when a qualified doctor could be the man cooking your breakfast, or a scientific researcher could be cleaning your room.
You see, the government wants everyone to be equal. They hand out rations for every Cuban to receive flour, oil, sugar and some other things. No one goes without, but also no one has any means of getting any more.
Until recently, leaving Cuba has also been restricted (opportunities are appearing now for people to find work in other countries). So whether you’re a doctor or a cleaner, you get an equal measure of essentials. But Cuba has a BIG source of income from tourists. Cubans being the bright and intelligent people that they are, have seen this as an amazing opportunity. Qualified professionals turned to working in tourism to access tips and ‘gifts’ from the tourists. In the past we have taken toys for the children, school equipment, sweets, toiletries, etc.
Most Cubans are very hard working people, but some young girls have become prey!
Within just our hotel, during the fortnight we were there I saw so many young girls being taken advantage of. Now cast your minds back to little Aniella. She will one day be a beautiful young lady. Imagine her beauty in a young girl late teens or early twenties. No matter how hard she works at school/university her life choices are limited.
Or are they?
You see there are quite a lot of men suddenly descending on Cuba.
Men seeking out Cuba’s beautiful women.
These men will give these vulnerable young girls all the material needs they desire. They open up a world of opportunities for these young women.
But at what cost?
The young girls are escorting these men for the time of their vacation. They live life to the full in a 5* hotel. They are dined lavishly and showered with gifts.
But these young girls are being pimped.
These young girls are in such a vulnerable position.
These young girls are being used.
These young girls are becoming prostitutes.
The Cuban people are aware of this growing trend. And it struck me as sad when one of our Cuban friends had lost all sympathy for these girls, thinking they had chosen an easy way of getting the good things out of life.
But is this a good way of getting something out of life? Should these girls need to prostitute their bodies to get the material things they desire?
Who is there to raise awareness for these vulnerable young women? Who is there to raise awareness to the Cuban government that this is happening RIGHT NOW? Who is there to shout from the rooftops that these girls are being taken advantage of? Who is there to ask the outside world to help?
