Women Affected by Poverty in Peru

Peru has some of the highest levels of poverty in Latin America, with more than half the population living below the poverty line. All over the world poverty affects women more than men. Addressing these inequalities by empowering women is the focus of Trόcaire's partner in Peru, Solidaridad para el Desarrollo (Solidarity for Development).
The Director of Solidaridad, Estela Cisneros, fights to promote women and improve their standard of living and human development in the shantytowns of Lima, the capital city. "We looked at some of the lives of these women and just couldn't stand by without doing something," she told Trócaire. "We examined what the women already knew and what they did best and worked with that." Machismo, the traditional pattern of male dominance in Peru, remains deeply ingrained in the culture. Women earn on average less than 46 per cent of what men earn and usually work in less secure occupations. click here to learn more