Navigating gender in elite bargains: Women's movements and the quest for inclusive peace in Colombia

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Alexandra Phelan ◽  
Jacqui True
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Women's Movements ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Peace Agreement ◽  
Bargaining Process ◽  
Political Bargaining ◽  
Significant Case ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender

Abstract A growing body of scholarship connects the participation of women and the inclusion of gender provisions to the sustainability of peace settlements. But how do women's groups navigate gender power structures and gendered forms of violence within complex and fragile political bargaining processes aimed at ending large-scale conflict? The 2016 Colombian peace agreement, internationally applauded for its inclusion of strong gender provisions and women's participation as negotiators and peace advocates, is a significant case for examining these questions. Drawing on original case material, including interviews of key actors on different sides of the conflict – this article analyses the political bargaining dynamics within and among women's movements, the Santos government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC). We argue that the inclusion of women was pivotal in transforming the elite bargaining process and power structures of Colombian society enabling a gender-based approach to the substantive peace agenda addressing transitional gender justice for sexual violence survivors and gender-equal redistribution through land and rural reform programmes. The study suggests that deeply situated political bargaining analysis is essential to navigating gender in elite bargains rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to inclusive peace.

The Colombian Special Jurisdiction for Peace

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 449-467
Author(s):  
Marta Valiñas
Keyword(s):  
Armed Forces ◽  
Comprehensive System ◽  
Male Victims ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Peace Agreement ◽  
La Paz ◽  
Sexual Crimes ◽  
The Government ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender

Abstract The Colombian Special Jurisdiction for Peace (Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz, SJP) is the judicial component of the Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition created by the Peace Agreement signed between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia — People’s Army in November 2016. The SJP started functioning in March 2018 and has already selected a few priority cases, some of which include sexual and gender-based crimes. It is to be expected that more cases involving these crimes will be initiated in the future. This article aims to offer some considerations for the SJP as it begins its investigation and adjudication of cases involving sexual and gender-based crimes. These considerations relate to ensuring that the full scope of sexual and gender-based violence is captured, including the experiences of male victims and the gender components of non-sexual crimes; and that the contextualization of sexual violence is prioritized over unnecessary considerations about the personal motives of the perpetrators.

Sex and gender: More than just demographic variables

2021 ◽  
pp. e20210027
Author(s):  
Callaghan Walter
Keyword(s):  
Armed Forces ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Sex And Gender ◽  
Canadian Armed Forces ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Published Research ◽  
Health And Well Being

LAY SUMMARY Taking as a starting point that sex and gender are not the same thing, a principal understanding of Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+), this article reviews research published in 2020 on the health and well-being of Veterans and currently serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces. The purpose of this review was to see how sex and gender were referred to in this published literature. The published research tended not to differentiate between sex and gender, often using the two terms as though they referred to the same thing. Possible reasons for why this has happened are explored, as is the importance of treating sex and gender as fundamentally different things.

scholarly journals COVID-19 in humanitarian settings: documenting and sharing context-specific programmatic experiences

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Neha S. Singh ◽  
Orit Abrahim ◽  
Chiara Altare ◽  
Karl Blanchet ◽  
Caroline Favas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Field Experiences ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Humanitarian Settings ◽  
Humanitarian Organizations ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Guidance Documents ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Context Specific

AbstractHumanitarian organizations have developed innovative and context specific interventions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as guidance has been normative in nature and most are not humanitarian specific. In April 2020, three universities developed a COVID-19 humanitarian-specific website (www.covid19humanitarian.com) to allow humanitarians from the field to upload their experiences or be interviewed by academics to share their creative responses adapted to their specific country challenges in a standardised manner. These field experiences are reviewed by the three universities together with various guidance documents and uploaded to the website using an operational framework. The website currently hosts 135 guidance documents developed by 65 different organizations, and 65 field experiences shared by 29 organizations from 27 countries covering 38 thematic areas. Examples of challenges and innovative solutions from humanitarian settings are provided for triage and sexual and gender-based violence. Offering open access resources on a neutral platform by academics can provide a space for constructive dialogue among humanitarians at the country, regional and global levels, allowing humanitarian actors at the country level to have a strong and central voice. We believe that this neutral and openly accessible platform can serve as an example for future large-scale emergencies and epidemics.

scholarly journals Health Status and Health Care Needs of Drought-Related Migrants in the Horn of Africa—A Qualitative Investigation

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (16) ◽  
pp. 5917
Author(s):  
Kristina Lindvall ◽  
John Kinsman ◽  
Atakelti Abraha ◽  
Abdirisak Dalmar ◽  
Mohamed Farah Abdullahi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Horn Of Africa ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Internally Displaced ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender

Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, situated in the Horn of Africa, are highly vulnerable to climate change, which manifests itself through increasing temperatures, erratic rains and prolonged droughts. Millions of people have to flee from droughts or floods either as cross-border refugees or as internally displaced persons (IDPs). The aim of this study was to identify knowledge status and gaps regarding public health consequences of large-scale displacement in these countries. After a scoping review, we conducted qualitative in-depth interviews during 2018 with 39 stakeholders from different disciplines and agencies in these three countries. A validation workshop was held with a selection of 13 interviewees and four project partners. Malnutrition and a lack of vaccination of displaced people are well-known challenges, while mental health problems and gender-based violence (GBV) are less visible to stakeholders. In particular, the needs of IDPs are not well understood. The treatment of mental health and GBV is insufficient, and IDPs have inadequate access to essential health services in refugee camps. Needs assessment and program evaluations with a patients’ perspective are either lacking or inadequate in most situations. The Horn of Africa is facing chronic food insecurity, poor population health and mass displacement. IDPs are an underserved group, and mental health services are lacking. A development approach is necessary that moves beyond emergency responses to the building of long-term resilience, the provision of livelihood support and protection to reduce displacement by droughts.

scholarly journals GENDER APPROACH TO EDUCATION ORGANIZATION IN HIGHER MILITARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

2019 ◽  
pp. 11-16
Author(s):  
Zamotaieva Natalia
Keyword(s):  
Educational Institution ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Gender Policy ◽  
Military Schools ◽  
Education Organization ◽  
Educational Paradigm ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender

The article is devoted to the urgent issue of conceptualizing the gender approach over the training of military specialists at a higher military educational institution. The modern scientific views on the essence of gender and gender policy to the Armed Forces of Ukraine are analyzed, the necessity of its realization in the system of military specialists training with higher education has been proved. It was found that the transition to a competent educational paradigm and NATO standards prompts the necessity for the introduction of a new model of educational process in higher military schools based on a gender-based approach, which should consist of coherent and mutually determined structural components such as: target, motivational, inductive, axiological, resource, sub Activity-based, technological, control-corrective and productive one. Based on the conducted survey, the effectiveness of the designed model depends on compliance with a set of principles and approaches to its practical implementation. The psychological and pedagogical conditions that provide productive gender interaction in the educational process of the higher military educational institution have been set.

Njinga a Mbande: Power and War in 17th-Century Angola

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Selma Pantoja
Keyword(s):  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Slave Trade ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
17Th Century ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Peace Agreement ◽  
Trade Routes ◽  
West Central ◽  
Historical Figure ◽  
And Gender

Njinga a Mbande (1582–1663) is the most famous and controversial historical figure in the history of the West-Central Africa region during the 17th century, the region of present-day Angola. Her political trajectory contributes to the understanding of the troubled context of the Portuguese expansion in the region and the establishment of the Atlantic slave trade. The Ndongo state was at the very core of this struggle, a state mainly comprised of the Mbundu peoples. It was also the Queen’s original birthplace and a major area in the dispute for ensuring control of the trade routes between the inland and coastal regions. The Portuguese arrived in the region in 1575, and settled on the coast. Luanda was the first area of the Portuguese occupation. From there the Portuguese waged wars of conquest, moving toward the sertão (hinterland). On the Portuguese side, the action unfolded in the constant attempt to control the sobas, the local authorities, the construction of fortresses in the Mbundu territory, and the wars that were initially meant to obtain captives and form an African Army (Guerra Preta). The army would later serve Portuguese interests in controlling the routes and fairs (i.e., the hubs, or centers, of slave trade). On the Mbundu authorities’ side, even before the queen’s reign, and later on at her command, the struggles took many forms: the deterrence of the fairs’ functioning; the disorganization of the “tax” system, in which the Portuguese charged the sobas; and the welcoming of hundreds of escaped slaves, as well as other central actions such as wars and diplomatic negotiations. Njinga a Mbande took on the title Ngola (1624), the position of greatest authority and prestige in the Ndongo. In 1626, after a major campaign by Portuguese settlers, she was expelled from her territory. But by 1631 she re-emerged as a leader, now in another region, Matamba, an important base for her attacks on the areas controlled by the Portuguese. From this region, she made a peace agreement, governing until her natural death at the age of 82. In the 21st century, historiographical questions abound: how was the leadership of this female figure viewed in terms of legitimacy and gender identity within the power structures of the Ndongo, how was her image publicly projected throughout the region, how did she rise in prominence in European reports, and what was her fundamental impact on the oral tradition of different peoples of West-Central Africa. The presence of Queen Njinga crossed the Atlantic and figures in the imagery of popular and mythical narratives in the Americas.

scholarly journals Immaterial Boys? A Large-Scale Exploration of Gender-Based Differences in Child Sexual Exploitation Service Users

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 658-684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ella Cockbain ◽  
Matthew Ashby ◽  
Helen Brayley
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Sexual Exploitation ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Child Sexual Exploitation ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender

Child sexual exploitation is increasingly recognized nationally and internationally as a pressing child protection, crime prevention, and public health issue. In the United Kingdom, for example, a recent series of high-profile cases has fueled pressure on policy makers and practitioners to improve responses. Yet, prevailing discourse, research, and interventions around child sexual exploitation have focused overwhelmingly on female victims. This study was designed to help redress fundamental knowledge gaps around boys affected by sexual exploitation. This was achieved through rigorous quantitative analysis of individual-level data for 9,042 users of child sexual exploitation services in the United Kingdom. One third of the sample were boys, and gender was associated with statistically significant differences on many variables. The results of this exploratory study highlight the need for further targeted research and more nuanced and inclusive counter-strategies.

scholarly journals Hybrid Peacebuilding Approaches in Africa: Harnessing Complementary Parallels

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
MaryAnne Iwara
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
International Peacebuilding ◽  
Management Approaches ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Customary Practices

Many of the most pressing conflicts across sub-Saharan Africa today—including violent extremism, sexual and gender-based violence, pastoralist/farmer conflicts, and criminal banditry—are shaped by local, community-level drivers. Despite these local drivers, however, international peacebuilding approaches often ignore or neglect bottom-up, grassroots strategies for addressing them. Often, international efforts to contribute to the prevention and management of local conflicts depend heavily on large-scale, expensive, and external interventions like peacekeepers, while under-investing in or by-passing traditional/customary mechanisms and resources that uphold locally defined values of peace, tolerance, solidarity, and respect. Recognizing that these traditional and customary practices themselves sometimes have their own legacies of violence and inequality, this policy note emphasizes the possibility of combining aspects of traditional peacebuilding mechanisms with international conflict management approaches to harness the benefits of both.

scholarly journals Challenging Sensationalism: Narratives on Rape as a Weapon of War in Syria

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 844-871
Author(s):  
Michelle Lokot
Keyword(s):  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
International Tribunals ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Way

Rape during conflict is often over-simplified and sensationalised in the accounts of international humanitarian agencies. This article suggests that such narratives on rape are connected to the way international tribunals and courts have narrowly framed the crime of rape. Limited legal constructions of rape reinforce a hierarchy where rape is seen as more worthy of protection than other forms of gender-based violence – a hierarchy that international humanitarian agencies perpetuate through their narratives on rape during conflict. Based on ethnographic accounts from Syrian women and men, this article draws attention to the problematic consequences of focusing on sensational narratives. It aims to reposition rape – and gender-based violence more broadly – within unequal power structures and a wider system of women’s subordination. It argues that while less incendiary, other kinds of gender-based violence during conflict may be just as insidious as rape.

‘Healthy Relationships’ campaign: Preventing and addressing family and gender-based violence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carley Robb-Jackson ◽  
Sandra Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Military Families ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
The United States ◽  
Military Family ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Healthy Relationships ◽  
Canadian Armed Forces ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Canadian Military

LAY SUMMARY Canadian military families face distinct challenges due to the military lifestyle, primarily due to relocation, absences and deployments, and risk of injury and death. Tied to these challenges is the intimate partner relationship and the ability of the family unit to thrive. To support families, Military Family Services (MFS) undertook a collaborative process to create a modernized campaign focused on healthy relationships for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members, Veterans, and their families. The “Healthy Relationships” campaign is a unique social media campaign centred on positive behaviour change, inspiration, and sharing of real military families’ stories. The campaign sought to shift the narrative from previous anti-family-violence messaging to promoting positive, healthy, and equitable relationships. The campaign was successful in its rollout across bases and wings in Canada, Europe, and the United States.

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