Argentine writer Héctor Tizón described the feeling of being in the Andean Altiplano rather effectively: “Here the earth is hard and sterile; the sky is blue and empty, and it’s closer than anywhere else. In this land, where it is hard to breathe, people depend on many gods”.

Mostly, though, Andean people relies on women. They worship Pachamama, the supreme goddess and universal Earth Mother. As a woman, Pachamama embodies all the core values defining the essence of Andean Cosmovision (worldview) — a point of convergence between religious and social beliefs, and the philosophical foundation of the rights of nature.

Andean worldview advocates the sacred link connecting humans to the cosmos. It fosters gender equality, embedding a strong set of woman-centered values that celebrate femininity. Unsurprisingly, the Altiplano’s society is regulated since the pre-Columbian era by an evolving matriarchal system that remarkably anticipates the current wave of feminist values reshaping most societies around the world.

Marco Vernaschi’s series Ahícito Nomás (Just About There) tells the story of inspiring matriarchs, community leaders, teachers, LGBT activists and violence survivors. In different ways, all self-empowered women who, through their personal stories, reveal a multifaceted, resilient society where ancestral and contemporary feminism meet to make a difference.