Systemic Exploitation and Intersectional Oppression

Sor Juana lived at the intersection of multiple oppressions—gender, race, religion, class—and understood how power systems reinforce one another. Animal exploitation similarly functions within broader frameworks of domination. Industrial animal agriculture disproportionately harms workers, pollutes communities of color, depletes ecosystems, and perpetuates patriarchal notions of dominion. Sor Juana's insight that one form of injustice enables others applies here: the rationalization used to justify animal exploitation—that some beings exist for others' use—mirrors justifications for human exploitation. Sor Juana's own life demonstrates how those without power to defend themselves become convenient targets. Addressing animal rights requires examining the economic, social, and political systems that profit from their subjugation. Justice demands recognizing these intersections, understanding that the liberation of animals is inseparable from the liberation of exploited humans and marginalized communities.