The Cuban Government confirmed this Thursday that 110 women were murdered by their partners or ex-partners in 2023. This figure was released by the Cuba Observatory on Gender Equality (OCIG) and pertains only to the cases tried in the past year, where the victims were over 15 years old. The statistics distinguish between murders "due to gender motives" (60) and those committed by partners or ex-partners but not judged under this aggravating factor (50).
In Cuba, the Penal Code effective since May 2022 does not include the concept of femicide. Official data indicates that Cuba ended 2023 with a femicide rate of 2.16 per 100,000 women. When compared with the 2022 records from the Gender Equality Observatory of CEPAL, this reflects the sixth highest rate in Latin America and the Caribbean. An interesting aspect of the official information is that the 2023 data surpasses the 88 femicides recorded by independent feminist platforms on the island, such as Yo Sí Te Creo and Alas Tensas, during the same year.
Until 2024, the Cuban state media rarely provided information about gender-based murders or used terms like “femicide” or “machista crime.” However, in recent months, the government has publicly acknowledged the severity of the problem. In July, the Cuban Council of Ministers approved a national system for the "registration, attention, follow-up, and monitoring" of violence against women. This system is composed of 25 experts from the Ministry of the Interior and the Supreme People's Court.
The goal of this governmental group is to develop an "administrative, computerized, and interoperable registry" to manage criminal processes. The Attorney General, Yamila Peña Ojeda, indicated that in Cuba, 75% of cases of gender-based violence occur in the home, and this trend continues into 2024. Seventy-two percent of the victims are between 25 and 59 years old, and 84% of the aggressors are partners or ex-partners. Another critical fact is that 31% of the attackers had a criminal record of violence.
Recently, the non-governmental organizations Alas Tensas and Yo Sí Te Creo confirmed the 31st femicide in Cuba in 2024. As of July 29, there were also three attempted femicides and six cases requiring police investigation.
Understanding Cuba's Gender-Based Violence Statistics
To provide further insights into the issue of gender-based violence in Cuba, we have compiled some frequently asked questions and their answers.
What is the femicide rate in Cuba?
As of 2023, Cuba has a femicide rate of 2.16 per 100,000 women, making it the sixth highest in Latin America and the Caribbean.
What organizations are tracking femicides in Cuba?
Independent feminist platforms such as Yo Sí Te Creo and Alas Tensas are actively tracking and reporting femicide cases in Cuba.
What measures has the Cuban government taken to address gender-based violence?
In July, the Cuban Council of Ministers approved a national system for the registration, attention, follow-up, and monitoring of violence against women, involving experts from the Ministry of the Interior and the Supreme People's Court.