Economic research has shown that the distribution of areas of relative poverty in Peru can be partly explained by the lingering effects of the mita system of forced mining labour that began in 1573 and ceased two hundred years ago . The mita effect continues to reduce household consumption by around 25% and increases the prevalence of stunted growth in children by 5% compared to the districts in Peru where forced labour was not practiced.
This example, one of many, underlines the immense, enduring impact of the systems of oppression that our world is based upon. It also highlights the urgency of addressing them.