Peruvian cultural diplomacy and gender approacah: between international projection and national cultural reality

Abstract

This article analyzes the incorporation of the gender perspective into Peruvian cultural diplomacy, examining how the inequalities existing within the national cultural structure itself influence what Peru projects internationally as a representation of its cultural identity. The research is based on the premise that cultural diplomacy does not operate in a neutral environment, but rather upon a cultural offer previously shaped by dynamics of access, training, recognition, and legitimization within the Peruvian cultural sector.

The study employs a qualitative descriptive-analytical methodology based on documentary analysis of normative, institutional, and academic sources related to cultural diplomacy, gender mainstreaming, and cultural industries. The analysis is organized around three main areas: gender gaps in cultural production, training, and management; the process of institutionalizing the gender perspective within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and the relationship between merit, representation, and cultural selection.

The findings show that, despite the institutional progress made by the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in mainstreaming the gender perspective, structural inequalities persist within the national cultural sector, conditioning access to spaces of visibility and international representation. The article concludes that a cultural diplomacy policy with a gender perspective must be accompanied by domestic cultural policies aimed at expanding real opportunities for access, circulation, recognition, and professional consolidation within the Peruvian cultural ecosystem, in order to strengthen coherence between the country’s international projection and its internal cultural reality.