According to local newspaper Granma, member of the National Office of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) Yaneidis Pérez, these will be spaces of confidence where people can present their situation and receive specialized help with any problem, thus expanding the network of support at the national level.

The initiative is in line with the program of activities of the Day for Non-Violence Against Women and Girls, which began last Monday with proposals to reinforce the message of zero tolerance for gender-based aggression.

Actions until December 10, coordinated by the FMC, include the broadcast of videos to let people know about ways to seek help, radio and television programs on the subject and discussions in work centers with specialists.

Every November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is commemorated, and organized activities will draw attention to this phenomenon, which is the most systematic violation of human rights worldwide.

Cuba prioritizes a State agenda to face the problem, as expressed in the approval this year of the National Program for the Advancement of Women.

The country has also held awareness campaigns, such as ‘Evoluciona'(Evolve) and ‘Juntas'(Together), opened a telephone line to attend those concerned and strengthened the work of the 168 Guidance Centers distributed throughout the territory.

In the National Survey on Gender Equality, carried out on the island in 2016, 39.6 percent of those interviewed declared that they were victims of aggression at some point in their relationships and 22.6 percent were victims of aggression throughout their lives.

The type of violence that prevails is psychological, followed by economic, physical and sexual, although the general population does not accept attacks against women or men.

pgh/lcr