Recognize, repair, transform: The potential of transitional justice in the Peruvian case of forced sterilizations

Abstract

This article argues that the Peruvian case of forced sterilizations holds the potential to be addressed through
the framework of transitional justice as a transformative approach to respond to long-standing demands for truth, memory, justice, reparation, and guarantees of non-repetition. Drawing from a human rights legal perspective, and with particular emphasis on gender and intersectionality, the analysis highlights the systematic nature and structural dimensions of these human rights violations. In light of ongoing impunity and the absence of concrete and effective state responses, the article contends that transitional justice provides normative and conceptual tools that could enable a more inclusive and internationally coherent response. Finally, it outlines key criteria to guide the development and implementation of such a response.