“Not broken,just silenced”: Empowerment among adolescent mothers institutionalized after sexual violence in Peru

Abstract

This study examines, through a feminist empowerment lens, the trajectories that lead Peruvian adolescent mothers into institutional care following pregnancies resulting from sexual violence, and their lived experiences within these settings. Using a qualitative case study design, the research was conducted in a state-accredited protection institution in Lima. Nine adolescent mothers aged 13 to 17 participated in structured observations and group interviews conducted together with in-depth interviews with one adolescent and two institutional authorities. The findings identified three key moments across a continuum of violence and care: sexual violence within the family, disclosure and engagement with legal and health systems, and life inside the institution. Across these phases, participants encountered multiple forms of revictimization, including within institutions meant to provide care. At the same time, the study documents expressions of resistance and agency, including disclosure, peer solidarity, and collective care. These practices illustrate forms of “power from within” and “power with” that emerge under conditions of profound constraint. Rather than positioning institutionalization as protective by default, the analysis shows how care is often delivered through paternalistic and controlling logics that limit autonomy. The study contributes to feminist psychology by conceptualizing empowerment as relational, situated, and negotiated within institutional contexts.