Lizette Vila Espina | Palomas Project, Audiovisual Production Company for Social Activism (Cuba)
The reasons that lead women to rise up against war and defend peace are numerous and varied. As feminist and anti-militarist activist Montse Cervera explains, this resistance arises not because women are peaceful by nature, but because they have chosen to stand for the lives of people and the planet. This commitment places the needs and well-being of people at the center to guarantee dignified lives, directly opposing the capitalist pursuit of market profits. This perspective fuels the feminist rejection of armaments and an industry of death that generates enormous profits by expanding during times of peace.
Furthermore, this viewpoint rejects militaristic escalations hidden behind the rhetoric of peace, as well as state policies that create fertile ground for the far right. It drives the demand to reduce military spending and increase social investment in state budgets. Social spending is what truly addresses the real needs and security of people. Recent wars have highlighted that the most essential forms of work—such as cleaners, care-home workers, healthcare workers, caregivers, social service workers, and unpaid or paid domestic care labor—are predominantly carried out by women.
The glorification of war inevitably fosters a culture of violence, which stands in complete contrast to the feminist vision. The brutality and tragedy of war can normalize a worldview that ignores all issues outside of military logic, even though these very issues are part of the daily struggle for life waged by women globally. Overcoming this mindset requires a necessary “Pedagogy of Peace.”
Violence itself, specifically gender-based violence, is another fundamental component of the feminist proposal for peace. Wars represent the ultimate expression of generalized violence aimed at subjugating peoples, and they are invariably accompanied by patriarchal violence. Historically, women have routinely become the spoils of war. It was only after the tragedies suffered by women during the Balkan Wars came to light that rape was finally recognized as a war crime.
Feminism offers an inclusive plan to change the system, cross borders, and tear down walls by addressing the structural causes of women’s oppression. The great challenge ahead is captured in the phrase: “Feminism or barbarism!” Feminism operates as a political pact to expand democracy and social justice throughout society.
This movement strives for a world where:
- Everyone has the right to decide about motherhood, making fatherhood more conscious and freely chosen.
- Sexual education fosters freer, safer, and more informed relationships.
- Shared responsibility in caregiving opens spaces for men to participate actively rather than remaining mere spectators of the multiple burdens carried by women.
- Femicides and all other forms of violence are prevented through justice, accountability, and reparation.
- Equality between women and men is recognized as a matter of human rights, a condition for a dignified life, and a fundamental requirement for development, sustainability, and peace.
These reflections and actions are critical during these difficult times, as anti-rights forces, imperialism, colonialism, militarism, and patriarchy threaten limited advances in gender, environmental, and social justice. Currently, the world spends six times more on war than on protecting women and guaranteeing their aspirations. Because peace and stability are essential prerequisites for the full development of women, all mechanisms against violence must be strengthened to challenge every form of abuse.
Cuba remains a free, independent, sovereign, and conscious nation, resisting imperialist efforts to erase its achievements and push it backward under the guise of false freedoms. Cuba sends its embrace to the suffering women and families of Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, and everywhere else. Cuba, too, suffers greatly in these times—and Cuba, too, is a woman.
