Proud of these 5 influential Peruvian women in Peruvian history

Strong, brave, talented and immortal. These are the Peruvian women who left an important mark on our society and whose legacy continues from generation to generation to this day.

Peruvian women have always been protagonists and authors of Peruvian history. Although inequality of rights and opportunities between men and women has existed since pre-Inca times, the enormous historical contribution of Peruvian women to the growth and formation of this country is undeniable. From the arts such as music, cinema or literature, to the different areas of science, to the leaders of social movements that revolutionized history. According to the portal Métrica and Bicentenario, these are some of the most important women in our history:

Micaela Bastidas

She was the wife of José Gabriel Condorcanqui, immortalized as Túpac Amaru II. She participated in the indigenous rebellion of Tinta in 1780. Her role as strategist and leader was of great importance to the movement, in addition to vindicating Quechua and Aymara women as pillars of strength in times of rebellion. Micaela Bastidas not only limited herself to household activities but was in forefront of the fight against Spanish exploitation. 

She was cruelly murdered in 1781 along with her husband, but her legacy inspired more Peruvian women who fight for a just cause every day.

Carmela Combe

She is Peru's first female civilian pilot. From an early age she already showed her intrepid spirit as she was driving cars and motorcycles at the age of 14, a passion she shared with aeronautics. In 1920, she completed an aviation course promoted by Curtiss, an aircraft company, and then enrolled in the Civil Aviation School in Bellavista. Thus, a year later, on May 6, 1921, ignoring the opposition of her male companions, Carmela managed to fly alone in a Curtiss Oriole airplane, making history forever.

Although her career as a pilot only lasted until 1932, she was decorated twice: in 1960 with the Peruvian Cross of Aeronautical Merit, for being a pioneer of civil aviation in Peru, and in 1982 with the "Jorge Chávez Dartnell" medal of merit, for her contribution to the development of civil aviation.

Clorinda Matto de Turner

Grimanesa Martina Mato Usandivaras, better known as Clorinda Matto de Turner, was a Cusquenian writer, precursor of the indigenist genre and also of the Hispano-American novel. Her talent was expressed both in journalism and literature, being her most famous work "Aves sin nido"(Birds Without a Nest), in which she describes the corruption and exploitation in a small Andean town, causing quite a controversy among the readers of the time.

In addition to her novels, Clorinda published many historical articles, biographical essays, travel commentaries, textbooks for school use and numerous translations from Spanish into Quechua. In this way, she inspired and continues to inspire many Latin American women with her criticism of society in favor of indigenous people and her infinite knowledge and identification with Peruvian culture and history.

Laura Esther Rodríguez Dulanto

We are proud to have Laura Rodriguez on this list, who was not only the first woman to graduate as a surgeon in Peru, in 1900, but also the first Peruvian woman to enter university, her alma mater being the National University of San Marcos. What a historic achievement! At that time, women could not access education, nor higher education, but Laura overcame every obstacle with a lot of intelligence, support from her family and determination. Her great and respected academic performance made her case famous even in that era of few opportunities for women. She specialized in Gynecology, achieving important publications on the subject as well as numerous investigations on Tuberculosis.

Sofia Mulanovich

We have already talked about different areas; sports could not be left out. Sofia Mulanovich, a famous Peruvian surfer, became the highest representative of Peruvian surfing at the international level in 2004 after winning the professional surfing circuit (WCT). That same year she also won the individual ISA title, an achievement he was able to repeat the following year. She became the first Peruvian and first South American to achieve it, since then she not only became a strong reference of Peru and national pride, but also an inspiration for many Peruvian women who dream of shining in the world of sports. 

Without a doubt, the history of our country would not be the same without the contribution of women!