Protection from Intellectual Suppression

Sor Juana experienced direct suppression: her books were restricted, her correspondence monitored, her intellectual pursuits discouraged by the Church hierarchy. Despite her brilliance, she was pressured to abandon scholarly work in favor of purely devotional pursuits. This concept recognizes that intellectual suppression—whether through limited access to information, prohibition of certain subjects, censorship, or discouragement of particular fields of study—is a form of child abuse that damages development. Children's rights frameworks must include protection against institutional and familial suppression of their intellectual interests and capabilities. This includes preventing gender-based educational discrimination, protecting access to diverse information sources, and ensuring that gifted and curious children are nourished rather than constrained. Sor Juana's struggle against suppression illuminates how intellectual freedom is inseparable from human flourishing.