Highland Peasant Weavers: Empowered Women, Heritage Keepers and Home Providers. Incakunaq Ruwaynin Project, Cusco, Peru

Abstract

In Peru and other Latin American countries, traditional weaving with an ethnic1 identity is undertaken in rural communities as part of development strategies devised by both private-sector and state agencies to improve living conditions for populations at risk. The case we present here concerns privately funded female weavers’ associations that maintain ancestral forms of production, uses, and the symbolic references of traditional clothing but work within the changing context and demands of the Cusco tourist market. Sustainable efficient commercial mechanisms are challenges that must be addressed, but this should be done in close association with programs that aim to strengthen the weavers’ capacities. Otherwise this could frustrate local processes that could contribute to poverty alleviation and inequality. This case study illustrates how, in countries with deep and growing inequalities, various attempts and approaches are required in the process of linking cultural heritage to the contemporary market as an asset, to achieve development while retaining authentic identity.