A Group of Quechua Women in Peru Are Challenging Silence Around Psychological Violence

Women in the Andean province of Quispicanchi are confronting a form of violence that often goes unnamed, shaping daily life through control, silence, and emotional harm that rarely reaches official records.

According to EFE, a program led by Manos Unidas and the Asociación Wayra is working with Quechua women to address psychological violence through therapy, art, and Andean cultural practices, creating a space where survivors begin to rebuild their sense of self and take on leadership roles within their communities.

Psychological Violence Remains Hidden

Psychological violence continues to evade visibility across Peru, even as data from the Centro de la Mujer Peruana Flora Tristán shows that over 190,000 women, girls, and adolescents experienced gender based violence between 2024 and April 2025. This form of abuse often lacks clear documentation, which makes it harder to report and even harder to prove.

Mariana Ugarte, who leads the project for Manos Unidas, explains that silence often begins at home, where women receive advice to maintain relationships for the sake of their children. She says families, including mothers and grandmothers, reinforce this thinking, which keeps many women in harmful situations.

Institutional barriers deepen the issue. Ugarte states that in 2023, eighty percent of psychological violence cases were dismissed due to inadequate reports, leaving many women without legal support. She makes clear that the lack of visibility stems from both cultural norms and systemic failures.

Control Appears in Everyday Life

In rural and Indigenous communities such as Quispicanchi, psychological violence often takes the form of control that blends into daily routines. Ugarte explains that this includes jealousy, humiliation, constant criticism, and restrictions on movement that limit a woman’s independence.

Economic control also plays a role, as some women face restrictions when attempting to start small businesses, even when those efforts could support their households. Caregiving responsibilities also limit the time available to seek help or navigate legal systems that already feel inaccessible.

Legal processes add another layer of difficulty. Many women expect immediate responses after filing a complaint, yet long procedures lead to frustration and, in many cases, abandonment of the process altogether.

Healing Through Culture and Language

The program relies on cultural connection as a tool for recovery. Ugarte explains that the use of Quechua, oral storytelling, symbols, and artistic expression allows women to communicate experiences that remain difficult to articulate in formal settings.

Psychologist Norali Quispe explains that the Andean worldview plays a central role in building trust. She describes how the connection with Pachamama, or Mother Earth, supports practices that help women reconnect with themselves and recognize their own value.

She adds that these practices reduce stress and remind participants that they are life givers who deserve care and respect in every part of their lives.

Change Begins Within the Community

This work shows how psychological violence continues to shape the lives of many women while also demonstrating that recovery can take form through culturally grounded approaches.

The women involved in this program are building support systems within their own communities, creating spaces where their voices hold presence and where leadership grows through shared experience and collective strength.