In the last 20 years, a reversal of the gender gap in higher education (HE) has been observed both in developed and developing countries. Nowadays, more women than men are studying HE. Nevertheless, averages tend to high disparities and gender gaps are still observed when indicators take poverty and ethnicity into account. This paper uses qualitative longitudinal data from the Young Lives study in Peru in order to analyse the role of gender in shaping young women’s educational trajectories beyond secondary school. We find HE is indeed highly valued by young women who persist in their efforts to continue studying beyond secondary school, even in the face of gender norms that hinder their educational advancement. Having more access to HE is giving young women the possibility to construct new female identities, but it is not necessarily empowering them to challenge gender norms deeply rooted in their social context.