P116. The Intersectional Victimization of Awajún Girls in Peru

• In Event: Poster Session & Ice Cream Social

Abstract

Indigenous peoples have faced historical and structural oppression, which manifests in five dimensions: exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and violence (Young, 1990). The presence of one or more of these dimensions not only helps identify oppression but also highlights the heightened vulnerability of specific groups. Within indigenous peoples, indigenous women and even more so, indigenous girls are particularly affected, as they experience the intersection of multiple identities, such as gender, ethnicity, and age (Crenshaw, 2012).

A case that illustrates this increased vulnerability and oppression of indigenous girls occurred in Peru in 2024. The Awajún Women’s Council made a public complaint stating that between 2010 and 2024, in the province of Condorcanqui (Amazonas), 524 cases of sexual violence against Awajún indigenous girls had been recorded, perpetrated by 519 teachers from basic education centers (Defensoría del Pueblo, 2024). Despite the severity of these crimes, many were not reported, while others were addressed only within the indigenous community through customary jurisdiction or merely at an administrative level via local educational management units, without being brought before the ordinary criminal justice system

As a result, the perpetrators were not held criminally accountable, and some continue to work as teachers, fostering a climate of impunity and making sexual violence invisible. Among the factors contributing to this intersectional victimization of indigenous girls in Condorcanqui, a significant justice gap can be identified, exacerbated by language barriers, economic limitations, social marginalization, and educational disadvantages. Therefore, it is crucial to incorporate an ethnic perspective into access to justice and implement programs that go beyond reactive responses to victimization, focusing instead on the protection and prevention of violence against indigenous girls, given their heightened vulnerability.

Authors

• Doly Rocio Jurado Cerrón, PhD student

• Carolina Villacampa, University of Lleida