judith gardam women armed conflicts and international law

Notwithstanding the late incorporation of women plenipotentiary negotiators and the delayed creation of the sub-commission on gender, these were critical victories in the struggle to ensure the integration of a gender perspective in the negotiations between the Colombian government and the FARC.ģ In this paper, we research how women’s rights NGOs, movements, and advocacy groups articulated their demands to participate and influence the peace process between the Colombian government and the FARC in Havana. At the time the sub-commission on gender began its work, the parties had already reached an understanding on the third point -solution to illegal drugs.

When Nigeria Rentería and María Paulina Riveros were appointed as plenipotentiary negotiators, two of the six points of the peace negotiations had already been settled -rural reform and political participation. 2Ģ Despite national and international pressure, it was not until November 2013 that the government appointed two women plenipotentiary negotiators and June 2014 that the establishment of a permanent sub-commission on gender took place (Mesa de Conversaciones 2014c). The result was the establishment in October 2012 of Mujeres por la Paz (Women for Peace), a space through which more than forty non-governmental organizations (NGOs) voiced one slogan: “There cannot be peace while there is oppression and half of humanity is still excluded from full development – women” (Mujeres por la Paz 2012b). This led various organizations to unite and demand women’s inclusion in the peace process.

2 “No puede haber paz mientras se oprima y se impida el desarrollo pleno de la mitad de la humanidad, (.)ġ When the peace talks between the Colombian government and Colombian guerrilla Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) began in August 2012, women were not part of the negotiating team.

Judith gardam women armed conflicts and international law