Dialogue on Equality: Women's voices to regenerate democracy

In Peru, a survey commissioned by International IDEA to IPSOS Peru in 2024 revealed that the majority of Peruvians expressed distrust towards fellow Peruvians, individuals in their respective regions, and even their friends, with percentages exceeding 55 per cent. Notably, women exhibited a higher level of distrust compared to men.

This finding suggests that interpersonal trust, conceptualised by Robert Putnam (2000) as part of ‘social capital’, which facilitates the construction and preservation of collective projects such as democracy, is at a low ebb. In light of this, the question arises as to whether it is possible to rebuild trust, and if so, how to proceed. According to International IDEA (2008:10), dialogue-oriented strategies aim to address the ‘deficit on the soft side of democracy’ by developing a democratic culture ‘of participation and (...) cooperation necessary for resilient societies and sustainable democratic governments’.

In 2024, International IDEA’s ‘Promotion of Democratic Values and Political Dialogue’, known as Peru Conversa, established dialogue and listening spaces in 15 regions, facilitating interactions among diverse actors and the development of collective solutions to the political crisis that the country is currently facing. However, as one of the participants notes, ‘dialogue will always be an incomplete and unfair expression, as long as women do not have the place we deserve, but we are working on that, and these spaces are an example’. Participation by women averaged 49.5% across all dialogues, which is a significant figure given that the aforementioned survey also revealed that women tend to participate less than men in non-conventional political spaces.

A series of qualitative studies undertaken as part of the project have revealed some factors that act as limitations on women´s participation. The first of these is the ongoing burden of domestic and care work, which continues to fall mostly on women. The second is the difficulty women face in expressing themselves and having their voices heard. The third is the reduced access women have to political information, which limits their influence on the public agenda. These inequalities demonstrate the importance of ensuring the presence, voice and perspective of women in any commitment to the dialogues, so that their participation is not merely symbolic.

In order to achieve this objective, the following guidelines have been identified: firstly, schedules and formats must be adapted to allow for the participation of women with care responsibilities; secondly, it is necessary to ensure the representation of women's organisations in dialogue spaces; and thirdly, training in leadership and citizen participation must be promoted to strengthen women's voice in politics. As another participant pointed out, it is only possible to put women's agenda in this space. The assertion here is that the concept of democracy is not exclusively associated with the male demographic.
 

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the institutional position of International IDEA, its Board of Advisers or its Council of Member States.