Participation of women in mutual support experiences to fight hunger in Peru

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to characterize the participation of women in the leadership of communal experiences of soup kitchens and common pots in Peru, within the framework of the pre- and post-pandemic background. It is developed from a quantitative approach at a descriptive level, with a panel data design from 2019 to 2023 for 25 regions of Peru. An indicator was created to measure the participation of women in local initiatives, based on the number of soup kitchens and common pots. The results show that, of a total of 18,935 soup kitchens and common pots registered, 87.55% were led by women, benefiting more than one million people (approximately 3% of the national population), of which 64.6% have been women. Likewise, the participation of women is more representative in those regions with higher levels of monetary poverty and high indicators of malnutrition in girls and boys under 5 years of age. It is concluded that women's leadership in Peru is crucial to establishing mutual support strategies in order to combat hunger, which mainly affects the most vulnerable people, especially in the face of external shocks such as COVID-19 or the increase in food prices due to the current situation.