On the occasion of International Women’s Day, CALANDRIA reveals that almost 50% of Peruvians believe that inequality between men and women has worsened.

The survey Percepciones ciudadanas: las cifras de la desigualdad, carried out by the Asociación de Comunicadores Sociales – CALANDRIA in Lima, Piura, and Cusco, shows worrying results in terms of gaps and inequalities. In Lima, 42% of men said that the situation of women had remained the same in recent years and 47% of women said that it had worsened.

When asked about the rights that women have, there are discrepancies: the most recognized right is the right to a life free from violence (25.5%), followed by the right to a family (16.7%) and the right to education (10.8%), while the least exercised right is the right to a life free from violence, mentioned by 23.2% of women and 29.5% of men.

Other striking findings are that Peruvian society is considered sexist (by 71% of women and 55.4% of men), racist (by 57% of women and 44% of men), and discriminatory towards women (by 51.2% of women and 47.7% of men).

The survey – conducted in the field between January and February – also found that citizens emphasize gender stereotypes, such as that the husband or partner should always be the head of the household and make the decisions (29.5% of women and 43.5% of men said this); while every woman should fulfill her role as a mother, wife, housewife and do the housework (18.4% of women and 33.2% of men said this).

Concerning femicide, the study shows that there is a consensus between men (22.4%) and women (22.2%), as both sexes recognize that this is a problem affecting women; they also believe that economic dependence is the main risk factor for women to suffer violence (indicated by 16.7% of women and 14.7% of men);. In comparison, 11.8% of Lima’s citizens would do nothing if they were asked for help in a case of violence against a family member or friend.

Finally, the survey also confirms that citizens perceive widespread and naturalized stereotypes in the media, in information and entertainment programs, which emphasize that the husband or partner should always be the head of the household and the one who represents the family (42.3%).

The study “Citizens’ perceptions: the figures of inequality” was carried out by the Association of Social Communicators Calandria with the support of the European Union and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

Fact sheet

Survey on women’s rights and gender equality carried out by the Association of Social Communicators CALANDRIA. 900 interviews were conducted between the last week of January and the first week of February 2024 in Lima, Cusco, and Piura. A margin of error of ± 4.9% and a confidence level of 95.0% are estimated. Project “Prevention of Violence against Women through the Media”, sponsored by AECID and the European Union.