BIC in Colombia DAY 2
The second day of BIC`s mission in Colombia allowed for more in-depth conversations on specific challenges within the field of gender and security, with a special focus on the security sector, including the military, police and the Ministry of Defense. Participants gathered in small groups to discuss issues pertaining to Security Sector Reform (SSR) and Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) in post-conflict scenarios, such as Colombia. As discussed during the sessions, SSR in Colombia were long dominated by the need to redefine the role of the armed forces to deal with internal security challenges, equipping them to better react to the presence of guerrilla groups. In addition, the peace agreement with the FARC and the de facto end of internal armed conflict entailed significant changes for the security sector. With the military no longer exclusively occupied by combating guerrilla, now the focus is shifting towards the remaining armed splinter groups as well as armed criminal gangs involved in narcotics trade.
Ms. Rodrigues, from the Ministry of Defense, highlighted that citizen insecurity, impunity and obstacles to accessing justice are still sources of grievance among the general public in Colombia. Although in decline in recent years, targeted killings of human rights defenders, women peace-builders and social leaders persist. Bringing its research approach to the table, the BIC argued that in the context of transition to peace, it will be essential for government officials to guarantee law and order and citizen access to ‘peace dividends’ in the form of civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights. Grievances over land restitution remain a big issue that must be addressed in an inclusive manner.
Moreover, the BIC highlighted that it is essential in every post-conflict scenario to include women and make their voices heard in peace processes and post-conflict transitions. Only by including women in a systematic and sustainable way we can craft outcomes that are more inclusive. The inclusion of these women’s voices may also create more effective long-term efforts at conflict prevention.
The discussions then moved to the current and multifaceted challenges faced by women peace-builders. The amount of risks for these women is differentiated in the sense that they are interlocutors of both sides, victims and perpetrators, which put them in a more vulnerable situation.
Finally, the meeting provided crucial information on how to conceptualize integral security for women, highlighting often-ignored factors, such as self-care, elements of risk and protection from a macro perspective at local, regional and national level and the presence of international actors engaged in Colombia