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