Peruvian Chica back in Peru part 3: Mujeres doing it big!

When I was still living in my homeland I saw the marked difference between men and women. However, particularly now, in my inner circle, of family and friends, I’ve seen a very remarkable change.

After my parents got divorce, I moved in with my mother and I’m not ashamed to admit that I was raised in a -kind of- feminist household, something that was rarely seen. Many of the women around me played the subordinate role in their house, job, schools, etc; that was definitely an ordinary thing. Back then, was a bit awkward to say “my mother left my father because she loves herself enough to admit that they were better off than together”; that was outrageous! Probably most of my friends’ mothers thought my mom was a rebel and that I definitely wasn’t being raised in the best family environment -little they knew 😉 -.

Years later, and miles away from the traditional and closed minded Lima, I found myself in NY. I saw a drastic change on women’s role in society. Some NY women may want to disagree with me because they might feel women haven’t come far enough yet, or at least where they expect women to be. But for me, I think we are on our way and in the right path-slowly but surely-. Seeing successful entrepreneur women, running big companies in different industries, more women working and not staying at home, and those stay-home women did it more for personal choice rather than a a necessity, is something more commonly seen here in NY than in Lima, Peru.

There’s a big difference between women in NY and women in Peru, this has always been on my mind, well at least until the last time I was in Peru. During my trip, I saw an amazing change, or i should say an amazing development, in the role my closest female friends and family members play in society.

I want to be brutally honest, I always thought I was somewhat more fortunate of living in NY because the opportunities as a woman were bigger here than back home. I felt that every time I went back to Lima I could brag about how cool is to be a women -young, single, with no kids, and with a career- and living in NY. While my friends would tell me about their okay jobs, with little knowledge about fashion or tech trends or narrating how their lives as housewives was like. HA! To my surprise I got slapped in the face, and honestly I’m so glad I did.

My mother has always been a hard working business woman and to follow her lead my sister has become a succesful business women herself. She created a corporation of multiple brands in the event planning and wedding consulting industries. My best friend has taken the lead of her late father’s company, bringing a fresh and creative angle that has secured her as one of the best bar tending schools in the country. Most of my friends from high school are currently working in big transnational companies, from big advertising agencies to accounting firms. All of them working in the fields they studied for, from doctors, to lawyers, marketers to business leaders. Got tons of independent entrepreneurs girlfriends, make up free lancers, stylists, chefs and even fashion designers. Let’s not forget, they know all about trending topics, from technology to fashion.

Now I’ve seen more women leaving their parents house to share an apartment with a roommate or to live in their own. I’ve even seen women going against their traditional parents views on relationships, and who started eloping before getting married. Others who just dont want to get married nor have kids. I mean, they finally stood up against that stupid “señorita” label to admit that their are comfortable with their sex and the way they handle their intimate life. They are now honest enough to admit that those choices are personal and that there’s nothing wrong with it. I mean, let’s keep it real and stop trying to pretend something we are not. All these things are new to me when it comes to my homeland. It’s pretty much the contemporary life of a woman living in a big metropolis, emerging into the life of a girl in a developing country’s city.

I’m very happy to see this happening in my city because it is inspiring to learn that not only men are the ones achieving their goals and life time wishes or making others respect their choices and lifestyle. Now women are taking power, not yet at same levels as men (for now!) but they are getting closer and that’s something very rewarding to see.

Now I know, in the past two years I’ve been wrong and I’m glad I was. NY is a beautiful and a magical city to live in but for the very first time, I’m pretty sure to say that all those women working their way up and doing their thing in my homeland are definitely not jealous of me living in the big apple, quite frankly the jealous one is ME!