Intersectional Vulnerability and Targeted Corruption

Sor Juana's writings reveal how power operates through overlapping systems—gender, class, race, religion, colonialism. She understood that some people face greater vulnerability to corruption and exploitation. Modern anti-corruption work must use this insight: corruption doesn't affect all people equally. Women, Indigenous peoples, the poor, and other marginalized groups face specific forms of corruption and have fewer protections and remedies. Fighting corruption comprehensively requires understanding these intersecting vulnerabilities. Anti-corruption strategies must include protections for groups most at risk of exploitation, ensure that investigation and prosecution systems serve all populations, and address how corruption perpetuates inequality. This means centering voices of those harmed, not just institutional officials. It means recognizing that corruption in police, courts, and bureaucracies hits marginalized communities hardest. An anti-corruption framework rooted in justice requires that reform benefits everyone, particularly those most vulnerable to abuse of power.