Epistemic Violence in Reproductive Health Care: Impact on Kukama Kukamiria Women in Loreto, Peru

Ramos E.E.; Manrique L.P.; Flores R.M.; Villarreal J.F. · Problema (2026) · DOI: 10.22201/iij.24487937e.2026.20.19908

Resumen

This study analyzes the ways in which epistemic violence is externalized in the reproductive health care provided to Kukamas Kukamirias women in Loreto, Peru. To this end, epistemic violence is understood as the delegitimization of traditional knowledge by hegemonic communities, perpetuating dynamics of exclusion and oppression. This paper will appeal to a qualitative approach and documentary analysis to examine the practices of the western biomedical paradigm, by virtue of which indigenous cosmovisions and ancestral knowledge related to reproductive health are marginalized. The results reveal that such a disposition not only affects the quality of medical care that Kukama Kukamirian women receive, but also their autonomy and dignity. Likewise, this article reports a gradual loss of cultural identity and a negative impact on the intergenerational transmission of knowledge as a consequence of the aforementioned condition. Thus, the imposition of the Western biomedical model, lacking an intercultural approach, consolidates structural inequalities, negatively affecting the physical and emotional well-being of these women. This study underscores the need to implement inclusive public policies that recognize and respect the traditional knowledge of groups such as the Kukama Kukamiria.

Instituciones: Universidad Continental