Intersectionality of Justice in Consumption

Sor Juana's life embodies the reality of intersecting oppressions—she was a woman in a patriarchal system, a creole intellectual in a colonial hierarchy, and someone navigating complex power dynamics with the Church. Her writings demonstrate awareness that justice cannot be addressed in isolated categories but must account for how different forms of power intersect. Ethical consumption demands similar intersectional awareness. The people who produce our clothing, electronics, and food are not affected by only economic exploitation; they face discrimination based on gender, race, nationality, and caste. Women workers often face sexual harassment alongside wage theft. Indigenous communities suffer environmental destruction alongside dispossession. Migrant workers face xenophobia alongside labor violations. Ethical consumption requires that we understand these intersecting harms and recognize that true justice must address them together. This means supporting companies that actively work to address gender discrimination in supply chains, that protect indigenous rights, that ensure migrant workers have legal protection, and that account for environmental racism. Sor Juana's example teaches us that justice is not simple and that comprehensive ethical consumption must grapple with the full complexity of power.