This article is part of a special report highlighting women who are making new paths and advocating for opportunities for women and others. It focuses on Tarcila Rivera-Zea, who spent her early years in poverty in Peru’s Andes as part of the Quechua Indigenous community. She felt the effects of her heritage, as her father’s family made derogatory remarks about her and her mother’s skin tone. Her life changed when she moved to Lima at age 10, where she learned Spanish and discovered a love for reading and writing. Rivera-Zea majored in literature and law and became an advocate for Indigenous rights in South America. She founded the Continental Network of Indigenous Women of the Americas and was a participant in the International Indigenous Women’s Forum. Rivera-Zea has been fighting for Quechua people’s self-determination, cultural preservation and dignity, as well as advocating for combating climate change and protecting her people from loggers, poachers, and foreign influences. She envisions her people having the same opportunities as other global citizens and with no prejudice or discrimination.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/world/americas/women-indigenous-rights-peru.html