The latest episode of the Democracy in Question podcast, hosted by CEU President and Rector Shalini Randeria, features Alejandra Ballon Gutierrez, Assistant Professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. As a social scientist, visual artist and feminist activist, her work is situated at the intersection of gender, human rights, race and decolonial perspectives.
Ballon Gutierrez's doctoral dissertation in social anthropology in Paris focused on the history of a decade of forced sterilizations in Peru. She is a coordinator of the Forced Sterilization Reparations Working Group, which aims to secure justice for women forcibly sterilized, and also works in support of the Rural Women's Autonomous Movement. Ballon Gutierrez additionally holds a master's degree in Critical Curatorial Cyber Media Studies from the Geneva University of Art and Design and her work spans a variety of artistic disciplines such as installations, drawing, music, performance, painting and new media.
In this episode "Alejandra Ballon Gutierrez on Body Politics in Peru" published July 26, Randeria and her guest explore former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori's population control programs and how eugenic principles have led to the forceful sterilization of women belonging to various indigenous communities. What role do foreign governments and international donors play in the racialized politics of population control, and how have violations of women's bodily autonomy and reproductive rights come to light? Listen to hear what kind of civil society mobilization is ongoing in pursuit of reparations for the victims and survivors.
For each episode of Democracy in Question, Randeria invites a leading scholar or public figure to explore the challenges and dilemmas facing democracies around the world. Listen to the trailer and subscribe here.
Series seven of Democracy in Question is produced in partnership with the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy at the Graduate Institute in Geneva (AHCD) where Randeria is a Senior Fellow. ACHD and the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) in Vienna co-produced seasons one and two of the podcast.
