Structural Injustice and Systemic Exclusion

Sor Juana lived within systems designed to exclude her—as a woman, she was denied formal education, institutional position, and public authority, despite her genius. This exclusion is itself a form of corruption: the systematic denial of opportunity and voice based on identity rather than merit. Such structural corruption creates conditions where power operates without oversight or accountability. Anti-corruption work must address not only individual acts of bribery or embezzlement but also institutional patterns that concentrate power among privileged groups while silencing others. When entire populations are excluded from decision-making, justice systems, and knowledge production, corruption becomes normalized and invisible. Sor Juana's struggle for intellectual recognition despite institutional barriers illuminates how fighting corruption requires dismantling exclusionary structures. Inclusive governance, diverse representation in oversight roles, and accessible accountability mechanisms are practical anti-corruption measures rooted in justice.