Securing Participation and Protection in Peace Agreements: The Case of Colombia

Citation:

Marín Caravajal, Isabela, and Eduardo Álvarez-Vanegas. 2019. "Securing Participation and Protection in Peace Agreements: The Case of Colombia." In The Oxford Handbook of Women, Peace, and Security, edited by Sara E. Davies and Jacqui True, 461-74. New York: Oxford University Press.

Authors: Isabela Marín Carvajal, Eduardo Álvarez-Vanegas

Abstract:

Women’s participation in the Colombian peace process constitutes an outstanding case in comparison with other peace negotiations processes, due to the efforts made by unofficial actors. Nevertheless, during the negotiation period, selective violence against social leaders increased, affecting their mobilizations and capacity to meaningful contribute. This chapter critically evaluates developments in scholarship and policymaking that considers the WPS pillars of participation and protection and their inclusion in peace agreements. To do so, the chapter draws upon the case of the Havana peace process, led by the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC), between 2012 and 2016. The analysis derives from a research experience at the Fundación Ideas para la Paz (Bogotá, Colombia), exploring women’s participation in Columbia’s peace negotiations. Drawing on examples from the Colombian case, the chapter demonstrates the importance of accounting for women’s preexisting forms of participation and knowledge. It also argues that affirmative measures that encourage women’s meaningful participation in peace negotiations will be ineffective if the underlying structural factors that exclude women from decision-making processes more broadly remain unaddressed.

Keywords: Colombia, Peace Negotiations, structural barriers, Knowledge, participation

Topics: Gender, Women, Post-Conflict, Peace Processes, UN Security Council Resolutions on WPS, Violence Regions: Americas, South America Countries: Colombia

Year: 2019