Partner Organisation: Calandria
A national organisation with programmes in Cusco, San Martin, Cajamarca and Lima
Areas of work: Gender/Communications/Media
Working to integrate gender equality into devolved local government structures; building network of informed and supportive journalists and officials.
WOMANKIND focus
Active citizenship and participation for women in the San Martin area of Peru (dense forested area around the headwaters of the Amazon). Women are being trained in gender awareness and leadership skills so that they can play an active role in the restructuring of local government as the national government’s policy of decentralisation gathers pace.
Partner worker Liana Ascama: What is the biggest challenge in her job?
Grass roots women don’t recognise their own capabilities. They have very low self-esteem after so many years of being relegated to the background. They’re afraid to participate, sometime they’re even afraid to ask questions. I find it helps to tell them that I’m constantly learning, too. The work in San Martin is very exciting, and is moving very fast. We are now entering the pre-election year so time is critical. Luckily we learnt a lot from the youth participation work in Comas. Sexist, ‘macho’ attitudes are even worse in these rural areas than in the cities. Entry level for our training courses is set as low as possible – many participants hadn’t completed secondary schooling, and unlike in Comas they had little experience of community participation, but I believe that some of the women we are working with will make the leap and take on political roles in local government after the elections
Other Womankind partners in Peru:
CADEPDEMUSAURORA VIVAR