Women's Movement,Peru

Abstract

Women have been fighting for their rights in Peru for centuries. At the end of the eighteenth century, during the time of Tupac Amaru II and Tupac Katari's rebellions, female commoners and leaders alike protested the tax abuses levied by the colonial government. While the most prominent figure was Micaela Bastidas, wife of Tupac Amaru, other Quechua and Aymara women played major roles in the taxation uprisings in the southern and central Andes. Nevertheless, involvement in these movements by women was almost always in connection with their family relationships. Around 1821, demonstrations against the colonial regime also included women, and although they did not make demands related to their feminine identity, their actions brought into question the patriarchal regime. Many young Creole women supported libertarian causes, collaborating in the defeat of royal armies.