What Makes Victims Unique Agents for Combatting Structural Injustice?

It has been generally assumed that victims of structural injustice are different from non-victims, yet few analyses have explored how they differ. I first challenge the notion that victims are morally different from others. This notion, if maintained, excludes victims who do not fit it and denies their active role in challenging structural injustice. I argue instead that victims are essential participants in the struggle to oppose structural injustice, distinct from other participants in epistemic and participatory aspects. Epistemically, victims differ from non-victims in three ways: they 1) possess information that some harm due to structural injustice is occurring, 2) have experiential knowledge crucial for understanding and combatting it, and 3) are more motivated to achieve these epistemic resources. Participatorily, victims’ participation is distinct from that of non-victims as it helps victims restore agency and ensures the legitimacy of the struggle in which they participate.