Women make up approximately half of Peru's 29 million inhabitants. Although they hold a variety of roles within contemporary society, their rates of literacy, economic activity, formal schooling, and government positions continue to be lower than those of men.

Life expectancy is 72 years for women compared with 67 years for men. Over half of Peruvians are poor, and nearly a quarter are extremely poor. Peruvian women experience varying access to resources depending on region of residence, urban versus rural location, language, and race. Although just over one-third of the country's population lives in rural settings, the population in rural settings makes up almost 60 percent of those living in poverty. Women in rural areas have higher fertility and maternal mortality rates. Leading causes of maternal ...