Intersectional Identity and Belonging

Sor Juana navigated complex intersections of gender, race (as a person of mixed heritage in colonial Mexico), and class, each constraining her rights and opportunities. Her life illuminates how children's rights must be understood through intersectionality: no child experiences oppression or belonging in isolation. A child may simultaneously face constraints based on gender, economic status, indigenous heritage, disability, immigration status, and other dimensions. Genuine children's rights frameworks must acknowledge these interlocking systems and refuse to treat children as a monolithic group. Sor Juana's insistence on her own dignity despite her marginalized position models how children—particularly those multiply marginalized—deserve recognition and protection across all dimensions of identity. Intersectional approaches to children's rights ensure that safeguarding efforts don't merely protect privileged children while leaving others vulnerable. This concept demands that children's rights advocacy actively examine how different children face different barriers and design protections that honor the full complexity of each child's identity and circumstances.