Women and participation in the context of the recovery of land in Rancas (Pasco, 1960)

Abstract

In 1960 the peasant community of Rancas (Pasco, Peru), building on previous communal agreements, recovered its lands that previously owned by the Cerro de Pasco Corporation. This action, in which the entire community participated, led to an act of harsh repression known as the “Massacre of Huayllacancha”. The massacre marked a watershed in the history of peasant land struggle, but substantially gave room for underpinning the Peruvian Agrarian Reform. In this context, I look for the conditions in which ranqueña women found themselves at the time, the underlying gender relations, and their participation in the land dispute. These reflections are guided by the following question: what were the ranqueña women’ daily life and community and family relations during the period of land retaking? By examining aspects of private life in the community, I will better understand the situation of peasant women in the region, as well as the power dynamics that shaped the struggle in the private and public arenas.