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.

Explore the state policy of forced sterilization in Peru which targeted rural, Indigenous, and impoverished women without their consent. Learn about the concept of precarity used to understand conditions of vulnerability and marginalization.