Forced Sterilization and Precarity in Peru

Forced Sterilization in Peru

• Forced sterilization was a state policy in Peru targeting rural, Indigenous, illiterate, impoverished women of reproductive age.
• Over 200,000 women were sterilized without their free, prior, and informed consent.
• The policy led to significant physical, psychological, and social consequences for the victims.

Concept of Precarity

• Precarity refers to the conditions of vulnerability and marginalization that made certain populations susceptible to human rights violations.
• It is defined by instability, lack of social and economic support, and differential exposure to harm.

Reproductive Justice

• Reproductive justice is a framework that analyzes the intersectionality of race, class, and gender in the context of reproductive rights.
• It links the right to reproductive autonomy to broader issues of social justice, emphasizing the impact of systemic inequalities on reproductive choices.

Feminine Capital

• Feminine capital refers to the cultural assets women acquire and display, which are valued within their societies.
• Sterilization affected women's social value and identity, particularly in terms of their roles as mothers and wives, leading to a loss of feminine capital.

Symbolic and Structural Inequalities

• Symbolic and structural inequalities describe the systemic and cultural forces that perpetuate marginalization and discrimination against certain groups.
• These inequalities underpin the practices of forced sterilization and the broader violations of reproductive rights.

Cultural and Structural Violence

• Cultural and structural violence refers to the ways in which societal structures harm individuals or groups by preventing them from meeting their basic needs or by perpetuating inequality and injustice.
• The forced sterilization campaign in Peru is an example of both cultural and structural violence.

Intersectionality

• Intersectionality is the analysis of how various forms of social stratification (such as race, gender, and class) interact to create unique modes of discrimination and privilege.
• The concept is used to explore the complex identities of the women subjected to sterilization and the multifaceted nature of their oppression.

Neo-Malthusian Agenda

• The Neo-Malthusian agenda is a critique of the underlying assumptions of the sterilization campaign, which linked population control to economic progress and modernization.
• This agenda reflects a continuation of colonial and patriarchal ideologies.

Healthcare Practitioners' Role

• Healthcare practitioners were involved in the sterilization campaign, highlighting the ethical dilemmas and pressures they faced.
• The campaign raises broader implications for professional responsibility and patient rights.