(Un)Reproductive pressure in Peruvian lowlands

Abstract (English)

Since the 19th century, eugenic practices influencing the reproductive behavior of Peru’s population began to take shape. The pressure peaked in the mid-20th century, with the emergence of the concept of "familia bien constituida": a heterosexual family with two children. Women who had more children were morally stigmatized as condemning their families to poverty. During the Cold War, the situation worsened due to pressure from the United States and the proliferation of NGOs promoting contraception — even the Catholic Church engaged in this effort until the encyclical humanae vitae was issued. For Western feminists, these processes were seen as beneficial for women from vulnerable sectors of the population.

During the presidency of Alberto Fujimori and the civil war with the movements Sendero Luminoso and Tupac Amaru, this trend led to mass sterilizations, which are now well documented. Around 300,000 people, mostly women, underwent these procedures. Some researchers describe what happened in the country before 2001 as a form of genocide.

In the 21st century, the state's reproductive policy returned to a form of soft power. The government program vaso de leche, aimed at combating malnutricion infantil, organizes many activities under the banner of so-called family planning. Nearly every clinic has a family planning specialist — that is, someone in charge of prescribing various forms of hormonal contraception. These contraceptives are also available at health posts in comunidades indigenas.

Their distribution is now mostly driven by a dominant narrative that frames contraception as a public good, intertwined with Western feminist ideas. The notion of contraception as a choice is heard far less often. Access to contraception and the possibility to develop one’s own reproductive strategy is undoubtedly an important option for women. And women do make use of it: most often, sterilization after the birth of the desired number of children becomes the most popular method. However, Indigenous women often report strong pressure before reaching that point: they generally want to have three or four children, which exceeds the morally acceptable limit. Moreover, hormonal contraception is often poorly suited to them due to side effects.

Women who refuse it are frequently labeled as “uneducated” or simply “ignorant,” with their ability to make independent decisions dismissed. The Asháninka society where I conducted my fieldwork is one with considerable gender freedom, where women usually have the autonomy to plan childbirth. And Asháninka women resist the established system. Meanwhile, health center staff also believe they are acting in the best interest of their patients — as they see it — and don’t understand why women reject their help.

The report will draw on field materials from expeditions in 2021 and 2023, as well as relevant sources and literature on the topic.