Justice Through Knowledge and Literacy

Sor Juana understood profoundly that knowledge is power—that literacy and intellectual sophistication are prerequisites for recognizing injustice and pursuing justice. She used her learning to critique social hierarchies, defend women's rights, and question authority. For children's rights, this concept establishes that genuine justice requires children to understand not only their own rights but also the historical, legal, and social structures that protect or violate them. A child who cannot read cannot access legal documents, educational opportunities, or information about their own protections. A child without exposure to history cannot recognize patterns of exploitation. Justice through knowledge means ensuring children receive education about their rights, about systemic inequalities, about the history of resistance movements, and about tools for advocacy. Sor Juana's intellectual legacy shows that when marginalized individuals gain knowledge, they become threats to oppressive systems—which is precisely why those systems restrict access to learning. Children's rights frameworks must prioritize comprehensive literacy and knowledge as acts of justice that enable children themselves to demand and create change.