{"id":254486,"date":"2025-03-08T04:00:05","date_gmt":"2025-03-08T04:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/08\/a-peruvian-woman-pushes-for-other-indigenous-voices-to-be-heard\/"},"modified":"2025-03-08T04:00:05","modified_gmt":"2025-03-08T04:00:05","slug":"a-peruvian-woman-pushes-for-other-indigenous-voices-to-be-heard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/08\/a-peruvian-woman-pushes-for-other-indigenous-voices-to-be-heard\/","title":{"rendered":"A Peruvian Woman Pushes for Other Indigenous Voices to Be Heard"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This article is part of a Women and Leadership special report<\/a> highlighting women who are charting new pathways and fighting for opportunities for women and others.<\/p>\n

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For the first 10 years of her life, Tarcila Rivera-Zea lived a cloistered existence. Growing up in the Peruvian Andes as part of the Quechua Indigenous community, she spoke only the Quechua language. She ate Quechua foods. She dressed in simple clothing. And she experienced deep poverty.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to have one piece of clothing, a dress, for the whole year,\u201d she said. She often went without shoes. And, she said, \u201cWe ate mostly maize and potatoes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The only nearby school taught in Spanish, and Ms. Rivera-Zea left after a year because she couldn\u2019t communicate with the teachers and other students and comprehend what was being taught.<\/p>\n

Now 74, Ms. Rivera-Zea has spent decades focused on reaching out to Indigenous peoples in Peru and beyond in an attempt to lift up other women, create more economic opportunities and make sure their voices are heard.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n