Dr Inés Ruiz Alvarado
Visiting Research Fellow, March 2025
Home institution: Universidad Científica del Sur
Inés Ruiz Alvarado is UNESCO Chair in Public Policy and Cultural Management and Co-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) Peru. Her research focuses on social and gender inequalities, particularly examining the intersections of gender, race, and class. Her career spans key areas such as gender studies, human rights, and community communication.
Her doctoral research examined the consequences of forced sterilization campaigns on the lives of affected women, culminating in my book Pájaros de Medianoche. Las esterilizaciones forzadas en el Perú y la lucha de sus víctimas por ser reconocidas (Editorial Planeta) and the documentary A Futile Voice, which delve into their struggles for recognition and justice. Her work bridges academic research and creative expression, advocating for transformative change in social landscapes.
Project title: “Defenders of the Territory: Amazonian Women-Leaders and the Way to Gender Equality."
This project examines the gender inequalities and threats faced by women leaders in the Peruvian Amazon. These women defenders experience sexual violence because their activism challenges traditional gender roles and questions power structures tied to illegal activities such as mining and resource trafficking. By opposing these activities, supported by organised criminal networks, women become targets, and sexual violence is used as a tool to silence and demoralize them. Despite these threats, they have assumed leadership roles in both environmental advocacy and the promotion of gender equality within their communities. This research investigates how these women construct leadership and develop strategies of resistance, merging feminist and indigenous perspectives. Part of the research work includes a documentary titled: Yo soy el bosque, which brings to light the women of the Amazonian native community eje eja and their struggle for the defence of the territory. Thanks to the IASH Fellowship I will be in Edinburgh during March 2025.