When Tomasa Yarhui was appointed Minister of Rural Affairs in 2002, she became the first female indigenous minister in the history of Bolivia. Today, she serves as a senator representing the Chiquisaca region of Bolivia. As a senator, she strives to create laws that benefit Chiquisaca and represent the interests of the citizens there.

According to Senator Yarhui, though she has had the support of many social organizations throughout her political career, she credits her success to her personal will and perseverance. As an indigenous woman, she had to overcome discrimination and surpass the traps that political parties create in order to prevent women from gaining political power. Though there is a gender quota to ensure that fifty percent of candidate lists are women, in reality, only twenty-five to thirty percent of candidate lists consist of women.

In addition to her role as senator, she has recently created a network of indigenous women who are striving to become political leaders. She has also planned a series of training seminars to inform women of their rights and improve their chances in winning elections. Though this network is in its early stages, Senator Yarhui hopes it will be successful and will increase the participation of women in politics.

Senator Yarhui sees her most important achievement neither as being the first female indigenous minister in Bolivia’s history nor as being a senator. Instead, it is having worked with honesty, solidarity, sensibility, and great will and interest. According to Senator Yarhui, without these qualities and her vocation of service toward the population and her peers, she would never have achieved her political offices. She advises aspiring women to strive to work with those same qualities, and a high sense of ethics. As someone who has overcome many obstacles in her career, Senator Yarhui believes that women must fight for equal participation and stand up for those who face discrimination.

Senator Yarhui is also currently a member of the Political Forum of Women (Foro Político de Mujeres), the Union of Parliamentary Women of Bolivia (Unión de Mujeres Parlamentarias de Bolivia UMPABOL), the Network for Deserving Women (Red para las Mujeres de las Ameritas) and the Women’s Democracy Network chapter of Bolivia.