Intersectional Vulnerability to Corruption

Sor Juana faced corruption not solely as a woman, not solely as a creole intellectual, not solely as an individual challenging ecclesiastical authority, but at the intersection of these vulnerabilities. The system exploited her on multiple fronts simultaneously, creating constraints she could challenge only by addressing all of them together. Modern anti-corruption work often treats corruption as a single-axis problem: focusing on one sector, one form of misconduct, or one vulnerable group. But intersectionality teaches that corruption compounds across overlapping systems of disadvantage. A poor woman of color faces corruption differently than a wealthy man; a migrant faces different institutional risks than a citizen. Effective anti-corruption must recognize these intersections and build protections accordingly. Sor Juana's life demonstrates that resistance also happens at intersections—that challenging one form of corruption often requires simultaneously challenging others. Anti-corruption frameworks that ignore intersectionality will inevitably leave the most vulnerable behind.