“Since you’re a woman and can’t work as a peon, you must give up one of your tupus. Your daughter will come work as a cook in the monastery, and you’ll go work at the hacienda.” (p. 111)
Reading Gregorio’s and Asunta’s testimonios in “Andean Lives” was a profoundly moving experience. Their resilience in the face of relentless adversity is inspiring, yet the trauma they endured is deeply disturbing. Their stories, marked by loss, struggle, and the tenacity to survive, paint a vivid picture of the harsh realities faced by many in the Andes. While their accounts stirred a deep sense of empathy and sorrow, I cannot say I was surprised by the severity of their circumstances.
The quote above reveals stark gender disparities in the lived experiences of Gregorio and Asunta. Gregorio and Asunta’s narratives highlight how historical injustices, such as extractive colonialism and the exploitation and marginalization inherent in colonial practices have left lasting scars on men and women in indigenous communities. Unlike men, women like Asunta were often relegated to domestic or low(er)-wage work, further constraining their economic independence and opportunities for upward mobility or even self-autonomy.
Asunta’s testimonio is only a third of the length of Gregorio’s, which I believe reflects the limited job and life opportunities for women and societal expectations of women’s roles within the larger patriarchal framework. Indigenous women were expected to be attached to a man, bear children, and care for the family while generating income. This dual burden of domestic and economic responsibilities severely restricted their personal and professional growth.
Moreover, the physical toll of repeated pregnancies added to the hardships faced by women. Asunta endured the devastating loss of six of her seven children, compounding her emotional and physical trauma. Additionally, she suffered physical abuse at the hands of both her husbands, some of which was a result of the loss of young children and her ‘fault’ in it. Meanwhile Asunta’s miscarriage was a direct result of the physical abuse perpetrated by the hands of her first husband, which highlights the pervasive violence and exploitation faced by indigenous women.
Gregorio’s narrative, while also marked by struggle, demonstrates broader occupational opportunities and societal privileges granted to men. In contrast, Asunta’s experiences reflect a life of compounded difficulties shaped by both gender and socioeconomic inequalities. Her story is a powerful testament to the resilience of indigenous women, enduring multiple layers of oppression yet continuing to fight for survival and dignity.
These testimonios not only shed light on the personal struggles of Gregorio and Asunta but also underscore the broader, systemic issues that persist in the Andean region, as well as the gender disparities that persist within indigenous societies as they exist in the broader patriarchal framework. Their stories are a poignant reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring need for social and economic justice.
Questions: With such tremendous struggle and trauma endured by both men and women, is it appropriate to compare the two? Have women’s circumstances improved with expanding opportunities for women over time?
3 replies on “Andean Lives: Is it worse for Women?”
Hi Andree! I enjoyed reading your insight into the gendered experience of Gregorio and Asunta. Your analysis of Asunta’s narrative being shorter and therefore a reflection of the fewer opportunities she was granted was a brilliant find. I think it is fruitful to compare the two experiences of men and women because much of the struggle that women endure, whether that is in the Andes or other communities, comes at the hands of men. Moreover, comparing their experiences highlights the discrepancy between their economic opportunities and freedoms. I believe women’s experiences have definitely improved with expanding opportunities as many opportunities come with higher economic compensation which grants a greater degree of freedom. I would argue that Asunta would not feel as inclined to enter a new relationship if she was economically independent.
” (E)xtractive colonialism and the exploitation and marginalization inherent in colonial practices have left lasting scars on men and women in indigenous communities.” Although certain practices of colonialism have been refunctionalized in the National States of Latin America, the central problem that Condori Mamani and Quispe face goes far beyond that cursed inheritance of coloniality. The Creole elites who consolidated Independence were more brutal than the representatives of the Spanish Monarch. Modern capitalism was built on inequalities. And currently it is Neoliberalism that continues to destroy opportunities for Indigenous communities, which definitively strips them of their lands and continues to throw them into destitution.
Hi Andree. I was also really moved by my reading of Andean Lives. You bring up some excellent points in regards to the lived experience between the drastically different between the two sections. I also noticed the lack of length within Asunta’s section of the text. I think perhaps this may have been due to a general sentiment in academia that puts women’s perspectives, histories, and struggles of less importance than male testimonies. I wonder if this text would have read differently had Asunta been given more space to share her stories.