WILPF Section Members Participate in Colombia Peace Movement

Since the announcement of peace talks in Colombia between the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP in 2012, slow developments have been taking place in relation to the participation of women and inclusion of a gender perspective. The National Summit of Women and Peace, which took place on October 23rd in Bogota, offered a platform for women to discuss the signing, implementation and checking of any agreements. About 400 Colombian women belonging to diverse political and ethnic backgrounds and organizations, including WILPF-Colombia members, participated in the event.

Manuela Mesa from WILPF-España, along with other international experts, spoke on a Panel on peace-building, where they stressed the importance of considering women not just as victims, but rather as active political agents capable of facilitating peace.

In Havana, the stalled negotiations got back on track and the latest agreement included women, peace and security language. The Joint Accord on Political Participation released on November 6th stated that everything that was agreed to with regard to political participation, including its implementation, would be carried out keeping in mind a gender focus and guaranteeing the participation of women.

Click here to read PeaceWomen's full summary of recent events in the Colombia peace movement.