The most humble of activists are often the most inspiring. Check out this profile of Elsa Mamani, a shy Peruvian woman – “I used to be an ordinary housewife, afraid of my own shadow” – who now leads CODECC (Coordinadora Departamental de Defensorías Comunitarias del Cusco), an energetic group of women fighting gender violence in their communities.
CODECC, a grantee of the National Endowment for Democracy, offers us an opportunity to better ourselves, to open up new spaces, give our opinions and say what we feel. This helps us recover our self-esteem,” Mamani says:
There are cultural aspects working against the defense of women’s rights, and it’s particularly hard for their rights to be accepted by the community and the state. Many people are not comfortable with women being treated as equals. It’s ok for women to help out, but when they start to voice different opinions, then they become a problem.
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