Personal and Political narratives: Radicalization of Peruvian women combatants

Abstract

Nowadays, there is a certain degree of consensus on the causes that triggered the Peruvian Armed Conflict (1980-2000): structural roots, sociocultural-historical circumstances and political will of both insurgents groups (Communist Party of Peru-Shining Path and Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement) against State. However, women from both groups have been judged through gender stereotyping and superficial analyses that emphasize their biological and psychological traits, rather than deeply exploration as their male counterparts. The hegemonic discourse claim that their motivations are mostly related to private and emotional issues and they are in some cases classified as ‘deviants’, in an attempt to erase all traces of politicization and agency. The narratives of these radical women challenge traditional portrayals of women as peaceful being but develop another social representation that still have Peruvian society and the rest of the world, especially with women form Shining Path: they are monsters and more cruel than their male counterpart or crazy and deprived of agency. This paper explores Peruvian female radicalization and the motivations that contributed to joining both armed organizations/groups. An evaluation of the women’s experiences is also included. Through this qualitative, empirical and original primary source we could understand better why women were participate in the last episode of Peruvian political violence, how is the radicalization process, as well as help us to understand about left radicalism more generally.