ABSTRACT
Contrary to a popular Anglo-Saxon saying that “each nation gets the government it deserves”, this chapter argues that Peruvian women live under governments which are not deserved by them at least. By this I mean that their participation in the processes of government, and the type of dialogue they have established with political institutions, have not created arenas where women have effective decision-making powers. This situation is attributable more to the manner in which the Peruvian political system functions than to any characteristics of the women themselves, such as a lack of interest, an inability to articulate demands, or an incapacity to develop viable strategies of action.
