Framing for Change: Social Policy, the State, and the Federación de Mujeres Cubanas

Cuba derives much of its national identity from its (fulfilled) commitments to social rights. Among these are achievements in the areas of gender equality, as well as reproductive and maternal health, which are extraordinary given the country's level of development, current economic circumstances, and persistence of traditional cultural norms. This article argues that many of the gains in these areas can be attributed to the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) and its ability to mobilize political resources in the constraints and context of the Cuban regime. In particular, the FMC has benefited from UN commitments to women's rights and the international feminist networks that support them. Global human rights declarations and covenants have provided the FMC with avenues for strategically reframing revolutionary, socialist goals as human rights concerns. Because the human rights frame fits with broader nationalistic goals, the state has proved amenable to gender-based social change. The research presented in this article is the product of fieldwork in Cuba and contributes to debates concerning the ability of insider political groups to negotiate an alternate agenda, in addition to debates about the study of public policy (in particular, issue framing) outside of liberal democracies.