Through the discourses of financial-independence and «professionalisation» of offspring promoted by state-provided healthcare and welfare (Juntos), Quechua women living in poverty find that upon entering motherhood their full citizenship becomes conditional on successful behaviours and stewardship of children to a more «desirable» livelihood than their own. This suggests that mothering- while-poor places a moral value on women that the state uses to justify monitoring and governing them.   This paper is based on one-year’s ethnographic-fieldwork in rural communities and health centres or posts in Vilcashuaman province, Ayacucho department, Peru. 100 interviews were conducted with women, men and health-workers, in addition to substantial participant-observation.   Whilst the pervasive discourses overburden women’s freedoms, there are alternatives to «professionalization...

A través de los discursos de independencia financiera y «profesionalización» de la descendencia promovidos por la asistencia médica (SIS) y social (Juntos) provista por el Estado, las mujeres quechuas que viven en la pobreza descubren que, al ingresar a la maternidad, su plena ciudadanía se vuelve condicional a los comportamientos exitosos y la administración de los hijos para obtener un medio de vida más «deseable» que el suyo. Esto sugiere que la maternidad, mientras se es pobre, da un valor moral a las mujeres que el Estado usa para justificar su monitoreo y gobierno. Este artículo se basa en un año de trabajo de campo etnográfico en comunidades rurales y centros o puestos de salud en la provincia de Vilcashuamán, departamento de Ayacucho, Perú. Se realizaron cien entrevistas con mujeres, hombres y trabajadores de la salud, además de una importante observación partici...

Through the discourses of financial-independence and «professionalisation» of offspring promoted by state-provided healthcare and welfare (Juntos), Quechua women living in poverty find that upon entering motherhood their full citizenship becomes conditional on successful behaviours and stewardship of children to a more «desirable» livelihood than their own. This suggests that mothering- while-poor places a moral value on women that the state uses to justify monitoring and governing them.   This paper is based on one-year’s ethnographic-fieldwork in rural communities and health centres or posts in Vilcashuaman province, Ayacucho department, Peru. 100 interviews were conducted with women, men and health-workers, in addition to substantial participant-observation.   Whilst the pervasive discourses overburden women’s freedoms, there are alternatives to «professionalization...