Bolivian women taking up lucha libre in response to violence from men [View all]
Meet the Fighting Cholitas, Bolivia's indigenous women wrestlers who are battling for gender equality
In Bolivia, cholita wrestlers are challenging stereotypes in skirts.
LA PAZ, Bolivia -- Polonia Ana Choque Silvestre, better known by her stage name of Carmen Rosa, was one of Bolivia's first female wrestlers.
At 49, she is a grandmother and unlike many scantily clad American female wrestlers, she competed in a pleated skirt, shawl and bowler hat with pigtail braids -- the signature outfit of "cholitas" -- indigenous Aymara and Quecha women who wear the signature cholita outfit.
Identifying as a cholita, she competed not just for sport, but for a cause -- fighting against machismo culture and violence against women that has been rampant in her country.
"Essentially the men didn’t want us to wrestle," said Rosa, better known as La Campoena: The Champion. "And also the women like us, our Aymara sisters said ‘why? This sport is for men.’"
https://abcnews.go.com/International/meet-fighting-cholitas-bolivias-indigenous-women-wrestlers-battling/story?id=67226755
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