Post-conflit guatémaltèque et planification familiale médicalisée des femmes indigènes

• Main Author: Anaïs Garcia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Centre de Recherches sur les Mondes Américains 2015-12-01
• Series: Nuevo mundo - Mundos Nuevos
• Subjects: Guatemala; intersectionality; family planning; violence; neo-malthusianism
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/nuevomundo/68682

In recent years, the sterilisation of women has increased in Guatemala, especially among indigenous populations. Some of these women are not aware of its irreversible aspect, its side effects or the existence of other contraceptive methods. Health institutions and their staff believe that indigenous patients do not fully understand the social and sanitary aspects of reproduction and therefore, deemed them to be unable to make "correct” decisions, because of their “culture”, which is considered to be irrational, male chauvinistic etc. They try to influence their patients decisions so as to be in accordance with a predefined procreative norm. This procreative norm is directly connected to the demands of International Aid Organizations and is inspired by a neo-malthusian doctrine. An intersectional analysis allows me to interpret social practices, representations and discourses relating to family planning. It thus brings better understanding concerning the relations established between institutions, providers, patients and communities, in a country where sexual violence and a will to control their bodies have been inflicted on indigenous Maya women both in the past and the present.