Sin Las Mujeres No Hay Revolución

This image, titled “Sin Las Mujeres No Hay Revolución” (Without women there is no revolution), is a print made by Melanie Cervantes. She’s a a Xicana activist artist who aims to turn the hope and dreams of justice movements into inspirational images. Created in 2011, it comes from the neoliberalism and beyond period of Latin American history identified by James Chasteen in Born in Blood and Fire. The woman depicted in the print is Vilma Espín, a Cuban feminist and revolutionary who aided Fidel and Raul Castro. She married Raul and also became one of the top officials in the Cuban Communist Party (“Sin Las Mujeres No Hay Revolución”).

The Cuban Revolution is of huge cultural significance in Cuba, however when it’s discussed, the focus is primarily on the men involved, such as Castro and Che Guevara. With the rapid growth of feminism in modern times, Cervantes’ print brings together two important cultural aspects, one old pride of the revolution and the new feminist movements. She wants those who study the Revolution know that women had just as much of a role in it as the primary male figures; Vilma is credited for helping gain increased rights for women in Cuba, ranging from employment to reproductive rights, as well as the increased number of women in Cuba who went on to get a secondary education.

Works Cited:

Cervantes, Melanie. “Sin las mujeres no hay revolución (Without women there is no revolution).” tumblr.com. https://melaniecervantes.tumblr.com/post/4545795188/sin-las-mujeres-no-hay-revoluci%C3%B3n-without-women (accessed April 22, 2020).

Chasteen, John Charles. Born in Blood and Fire. 4th edition. New York: W. W. Norton, 2016.