Gender Equality in Pictures
On 8 March 2011, International Women’s Day, more than 170 people attended the inauguration of the photography exhibition ‘Mirada de Mujeres, Mujeres en la Mirada’ (Women’s Focus, Focus on Women) at the Cultural Centre of the University of Huamanga (Peru). The aim of this exhibition is to raise awareness among the general public about the involvement of women in Peruvian society.
70% of women agricultural workers are not paid
Every year, the month of March is an occasion to assess the losses and gains in the situations of inequality that Peruvian women suffer from in all areas. The Ayacucho department is one of the poorest of Peru. Even though the Regional Plan against Gender Inequalities saw the light in 2010, the assessment of the past year remains negative. Domestic violence is a matter of course: 60% of women are beaten. Besides, economically, the work of women in Ayacucho remains strongly undervalued. Many women are employed in the informal sector and are therefore not recognized as workers or paid correctly or even not paid at all. Thus, 7 farm workers out of 10 do not get remunerated for their work.
Two programmes of BTC are active in the region: the Integrated Programme to Fight Domestic and Sexual Violence (PILVFS), and the Programme for Non-Financial Business Services in the Economic Ayacucho-Apurimac-Huancavelica Corridor (CSE). Both programmes have a ‘gender’ aspect. That is why they launched the photography exhibition ‘Mirada de Mujeres, Mujeres en la Mirada’ in March 2011.
Women’s Focus…
On the one hand, this exhibition provides a space where women can express themselves through photographs taken by the participants to a cycle of self-esteem workshops organised by PILVFS. Through five workshops with games and photography the participants have indeed had an opportunity to consider their self-esteem, a key element in the fight against household violence.
… Focus on Women
On the other hand, the exhibition shows eight portraits of women producers at work, one for each sector that the CSE supports. Women of various ages and backgrounds invite the general public through audio witness reports and data to get to know the situation of all women who work in these sectors and to appreciate their contribution to Peruvian society.
Since the opening, many groups (schools, public and private institutions, associations…) have come to the cultural centre for the guided afternoon tours provided by students who have been trained in gender issues for the occasion. A broad and diverse audience can now start thinking about the space given to women in Peruvian society and become aware of the need to work towards real equality between men and women. The exhibition will continue its awareness-raising objective in 2011 in other provinces and departments of Peru.
“It is the first time that I am being honoured. I am very happy and very proud that our work is made known.” (Pelagia, alpaca farmer)
Links
Articles in the local media:
http://retabloayacuchano.blogspot.com/2011/03/mujeres.html
http://www.mimdes.gob.pe/prensa-pncvfs-texto/4825.html
