Gender Equality for Sustainable Peace

Visit the Peace Accords Matrix at

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Visit the Kroc Institute for

International Peace Studies at

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Gender Equality for

Sustainable Peace

Second Report on the

Monitoring of the Gender

Perspective in the

Implementation of the

Colombian Peace Accord

The Barometer Initiative is a program stemming from the Peace Accords Matrix (PAM) of the Kroc Institute for International

Peace Studies and the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, in collaboration with the National Secretariat

of Colombian Social Pastoral Caritas. The Kroc Institute has agreed to provide technical support for the implementation of the entire

Accord signed by the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP in 2016. The Institute is part of the International Verification

Component (CIV) of the CSIVI (Commission for Monitoring, Promoting, and Verifying the Implementation of the Final Agreement)

referred to in Section 6.1 of the Final Accord. As mandated by the parties of the Accord, the Institute’s work is technical, developed

with methodological and academic rigor, and based on the Kroc Institute’s development of and experiences with the Peace Accords

Matrix, which tracks more than 34 peace agreements around the globe.

https://kroc.nd.edu/research/peace-processes-accords/pam-colombia/

UN Women, the organization at the United Nations dedicated to promoting gender equality and female empowerment. As a

global advocate for women and girls, the purpose of UN Women is to accelerate the improvement of living conditions for women,

responding to their particular needs. UN Women supports the member states of the United Nations in establishing international

standards to achieve gender equality, working with governments and civil society to create laws, policies, programs, and services

that ensure real benefits for women and girls around the world. It works globally to make the Sustainable Development Goals for

2030 a reality for women and girls, promoting the participation of women on equal terms in all areas of life. UN Women focuses on

five priority areas: 1) increasing female leadership and participation; 2) ending violence against women; 3) including women in all

aspects of peace and security processes; 4) improving the economic empowerment of women; and 5) making gender equality a

central aspect in the planning and design of national development budgets. Likewise, UN Women coordinates and promotes the work

of the United Nations in favor of gender equality and in all debates and agreements related to the 2030 Agenda. The organization

works to achieve a more inclusive world, with gender equality as a fundamental element of the Sustainable Development Goals.

http://colombia.unwomen.org

The Women’s International Democratic Federation (FDIM), founded in Paris, France, on December 1, 1945, is an

international non-governmental organization that integrates women’s organizations from around the world. Its mission and values are

based on principles of social, economic, political, and cultural justice. FDIM promotes the resolution of conflicts between nations

through dialogue and rejects all forms of colonialism, neo-colonialism, imperialism, and war. It brings together diverse progressive

and revolutionary movements, which share a common struggle for gender equality and peacekeeping. The organization fights for a

society free of exploitation, racism and prejudice, patriarchy, and oppression; moreover, it defends the environment, strives to help

ensure communities have food security, and stands for sovereignty for the benefit of the people. It provides guidance and

consultancy to the UN, International Labor Organization (ILO), UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),

Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against

Women (CEDAW). Moreover, it defends the self-determination of peoples, peace all around the world, and universal disarmament.

http://www.fdim.org.sv/

Sweden is a partner in the efforts to foster and implement peace and sustainable development in Colombia and the world.

Sweden’s work in Colombia is part of the global objective of supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable

Development and the implementation of its 2016-2020 Cooperation Strategy, which aims to support Colombia’s peacebuilding

process along the terms agreed to during negotiations, contributing to sustainable peace and human safety. Sweden promotes the

building of fairer and more egalitarian societies and subscribes to a feminist foreign policy with the conviction that the inclusion of all

members of society strengthens democracy and sustainable development. This strategy has produced greater influence and

participation of women in peace processes generally and in the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement in Colombia, in line

with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security.

www.swedenabroad.se/bogota

With the support of:

UNIÓN EUROPEA

Special Report of the Kroc Institute and the

International Accompaniment Component, UN

Women, Women’s International Democratic

Federation (FDIM), and Sweden, on the

monitoring

of the Gender Perspective in the

Implementation of the Colombian Peace Accord

Barometer Initiative, Peace Accords Matrix, Kroc

Institute for International Peace Studies, UN Women,

FDIM, Sweden, Gender Equality for Sustainable Peace.

Second Report on the Monitoring of the Gender

Perspective in the Implementation of the Colombian

Peace Accord, (Report 2, University of Notre Dame,

United States of America and Bogotá, Colombia, 2019).

Bogotá, Colombia, December 2019

Design:

Quid Diseño Esencial / ww.qd.com.co

Photography credits:

Asociación Nacional de Zonas de Reserva Campesina

(ANZORC)

Soraya Hoyos, Consultant on Reincorporation, UN

Women Colombia

Ryan Brown, UN Women

FDIM Women’s International Democratic

Federation

GPAZ Gender in Peace Working Group

GRAI Information Analysis Group

IEANPE Special High-Level Forum with Ethnic

Peoples

LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender

LIMPAL Women’s International League for

Peace and Freedom

MAPP/OEA Mission to Support the Peace Process

in Colombia of the Organization of

American States

MESECVI Monitoring Mechanism of the

Convention of Belém do Pará

MOE Electoral Observation Mission

MPTF United Nations Multi-Party Trust Fund

OACNUDH Office of the United Nations High

Commissioner for Human Rights

OACP Office of the High Commissioner for

Peace

IOM International Organization for Migration

ILO International Labor Organization

UN United Nations

UN Women UN Entity for Gender Equality and the

Empowerment of Women

PAM Peace Accords Matrix

PATR Action Plan for Regional

Transformation

PDET Development Plans with a Territorial

Focus

PIDAR Comprehensive Plans for Agricultural

and Rural Development

Acronyms

ACONC Association of Community Councils of

Northern Cauca

ANT National Land Agency

ANZORC National Association of Campesino

Reserve Zones

ARN Reincorporation and Normalization

Agency

ARG Group Reincorporation Areas

ART Territorial Renewal Agency

ASOM Association of Afro-descendant

Women of Northern Cauca

CEDAW Committee on the Elimination of

Discrimination against Women

CEPAL Economic Commission for Latin

America and the Caribbean

CERREM Committee for Risk Assessment and

Recommendations

CEV Truth, Coexistence and Non-

Recurrence Commission

CSIVI Commission for Monitoring,

Promoting and Verifying the

Implementation of the Final Agreement

CNR National Reincorporation Council

CNGS National Commission on Security

Guarantees

CONPES National Council of Economic and

Social Policy

ETCR Territorial Spaces for Training and

Reincorporation

FARC The Common Alternative

Revolutionary Force

FARC-EP Revolutionary Armed Forces of

Colombia – Army of the People

PISDA Comprehensive Community Plans for

Substitution of Crops and Alternative

Development

PLANFES National Plan to Promote Cooperative and

Solidarity Rural Economy

PBF United Nations Peacebuilding Fund

PMI Framework Plan for Implementation

PND National Development Plan

PNIS National Comprehensive Program for the

Substitution of Crops Used for Illicit Purposes

UNDP United Nations Development Program

POSPR Plan for the Social Organization of Rural

Property

RESO Registry of Beneficiaries of Land Access, and

Formalization and the National Land Fund,

SISEP Comprehensive Security System for the Exercise

of Politics

SAT Early Warning System

SENA National Vocation Service

SESP Specialized Security and Protection Sub-directorate

SIVJRNR Comprehensive System for Truth, Justice,

Reparation and Non-Recurrence

UARIV Unit for the Attention and Comprehensive Reparation

of Victims / Victims Unit

UBPD Unit for the Search for Persons Deemed as Missing in

the context of and due to the armed conflict

UEI Special Investigation Unit

UIA Investigation and Prosecution Unit

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural

Organization

UNP National Protection Unit

UNIPEP Police Unit for Peacebuilding

Table of Contents

Foreword

Executive Summary

Introduction

General overview of implementation with a gender perspective

Priority areas in the implementation of the Final Accord with a

gender perspective

1.Territorial transformation: Comprehensive Rural Reform and

substitution of illicit crops

2. Security and protection guarantees

3. Reincorporation of former FARC-EP combatants

4. Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation, and Non-

Repetition (SIVJRNR) and victims’ rights

Conclusions

Recommendations

Foreword

he Final Agreement to End the Armed Conflict and Build a Stable and Lasting Peace, signed

on November 24, 2016, by the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces

of Colombia (FARC-EP), took an unprecedented step to apply international standards of gender

equality to the peacebuilding process. This achievement was made possible because of active

participation of women in the multiple phases of negotiation and the different mechanisms

designed and implemented at the negotiation table, the commitment of the parties included in

the leadership of the gender subcommittee, and support from the international community.

The Final Accord establishes the gender perspective as a guiding principle for its implementation:

it includes close to 130 affirmative measures to promote equal rights for men and women,

emphasizing and requiring the active participation of women and their organizations in

peacebuilding. In addition, the Accord recognizes the victimization of women throughout the

armed conflict. It adopts measures for ensuring women have equitable access to plans and

programs contained in the agreement.

Taking this into account, and in accordance with the Final Accord mandate for monitoring,

follow-up, and periodic reporting by the International Verification Component of the Commission

for Monitoring, Promoting and Verifying the Implementation of the Final Agreement (CSIVI),

the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies in partnership with Sweden, the Women’s

International Democratic Federation (FDIM), and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality

and Women’s Empowerment (UN Women), have prepared the Gender Equality for Sustainable

Peace: Second Report on the Monitoring of the Gender Perspective in the Implementation

of the Colombian Peace Accord.

The quality and sustainability of peace achieved through the implementation of the Accord

depends to a large extent on the implementation of comprehensive and coordinated gender-

specific measures. Three years have passed since the Final Peace Accord was signed, and

as this report makes clear, there is a need to rapidly and sustainably translate the important

institutional and regulatory advances achieved into implementation at the territorial level, which

will open valuable opportunities to transform and improve the status of women in Colombian

society.

Foreword

Since the first special gender report

published in late 2018, the institutional architecture for

implementing gender-related commitments has been bolstered, and policy planning mechanisms,

methodologies, and instruments for this group of initiatives have been significantly improved.

Undoubtedly, leadership from the gender commissions and groups working in the Comprehensive

System for Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Recurrence (SIVJRNR), National Reincorporation

Council (NRC), Office of the Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and Consolidation, and High

Level Government Gender Body, has been instrumental for these advances.

Gender policy mechanisms in government and state entities, as well as in the working groups

and forums included in the Accord, have been decisive in establishing a national reincorporation

policy (CONPES 3931 of 2018) with a focus on gender. These mechanisms have been definitive

in ensuring the participation of ex-combatant women in the execution of productive initiatives

for their economic reincorporation into civil society. The mechanisms have also been essential

in creating opportunities for female victims to benefit from transitional justice measures and

prioritize their concerns within SIVJRNR missions. In numerical terms, close to 96% of the

sectorial action plans for the 51 indicators of the gender chapter of the Framework Plan for

Implementation (PMI) have been completed.

Over the last year, the commitment and proactive participation of women in the implementation

of the Accord at the national and subnational level in Colombia, including the most remote

territories, has been crucial for peacebuilding. For example, incorporating women’s participation

in the regulatory implementation phase of the Accord provides a gender-sensitive perspective

in new laws and women’s participation has secured a significant number of rights- and

equality-based initiatives within the Action Plan for Regional Transformation (PATR). Women’s

participation has ensured the inclusion of two women’s organizations in the National Commission

on Security Guarantees (CNGS) and has contributed to advances in the Early Warning System

(SAT) designed to identify risks to affirmative action for women and the LGBT population.

Although several important advances have been made, multiple initiatives have proven insufficient

and are being implemented at a slower pace than those of the general Accord. Failure to swiftly

implement key measures focused on gender equality has had direct negative implications on

the impact of other initiatives in progress. Moreover, failure increases the likelihood that women

and citizens in general lose confidence in the process. Therefore, in order to maximize the

transformative nature of the Accord’s measures on the lives of women in particular and achieve

greater progress in the implementation of a gender perspective generally, it will be necessary to

Barometer Initiative, Peace Accords Matrix, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, UN Women, FDIM,

and Sweden, “Special Report of the Kroc Institute and the International Accompaniment Component, UN Wom-

en, FDIM, and Sweden, on the Monitoring of the Gender Perspective in the Implementation of the Colombian

Final Peace Accord. December 2016 to June 2018,” (Report 1, Bogotá, Colombia, 2018). https://kroc.nd.edu/

assets/294960/181030_informe_ge_nero_esp_final_2_.pdf.

Foreword

accelerate the completion of commitments related to Comprehensive Rural Reform, participation,

protections, and security guarantees, as well as those related to comprehensive reparations,

such as the restitution of rights as well as psychosocial rehabilitation and economic recovery.

The time to act is now. As the 20th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution

1325 on Women, Peace, and Security approaches in 2020, Colombia has the opportunity to

demonstrate how commitments at the negotiation table have transformed into action thanks to

the gender perspective in the Final Accord. This perspective has provided a fundamental base

for gender equality and the transformation of women’s lives, a means for fulfilling Sustainable

Development Goals for 2030, and a method for ensuring equitable peace, one that includes

women and that leaves no one behind.

UN Women

Kroc Institute

FDIM

Sweden

Executive Summary

”

hree years after the signing of

the Colombian Peace Accord,

the implementation process is at

a critical inflection point. In order

to achieve sustainable, quality

peace, implementation of the

Accord must move beyond the

creation of a new institutional

infrastructure and adoption

of laws and toward accelerating

implementation in the territories. This

report examines a fundamental element of

quality peace and one of the most innovative

aspects of the Colombian Accord: the inclusion of

130 specific commitments that place women at the center of its

implementation. This document also synthesizes the most important advances

and identifies gaps, opportunities, and best practices related to the implementation of gender

committments. Without the active participation of women in decision-making, the Final Accord

will not fulfill its purpose of closing the social and economic gaps that exist between men and

women, and between those who live in the territories most affected by the armed conflict and

the rest of the country.

In this second joint report, the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and the international

accompaniment component, which includes Sweden, Women’s International Democratic

Federation (FDIM), and UN Women, present an analysis of the implementation of the gender

perspective in the Final Accord. The report includes qualitative and quantitative analysis of the

implementation for the period between September 2018 and August 2019. Quantitative data of

implementation levels includes information from the beginning of the Accord to August 2019.

The purpose of this report is to contribute to the decision-making process of relevant actors

when promoting sustainable peace and to provide impetus for implementation with a gender-

Women’s International Democratic Federation (FDIM), “FDIM Report August 2019,” (Bogotá, 2019), 6.

“Women

are not going

to dance to the

beat of the war

drum; we need

peace.”

“

Executive Summary

based approach at this critical moment. Considering that women should be actively involved in

the implementation of the Peace Accord, the report demonstrates how they can be a catalyst

for peacebuilding and development processes at the local and national levels. In particular, it

argues that the gender perspective is a promising opportunity for the empowerment of women

in rebuilding the social fabric that has been damaged by the armed conflict.

The quantitative analysis carried out by the Kroc Institute shows that there is still a gap between

the implementation of the commitments aimed at improving gender equality compared to the

levels of implementation of the broader Accord, with a lag in the initiation and implementation of

the gender measures. On the one hand, a higher percentage of gender commitments have not

been initiated. As of August 2019, 42% of these gender commitments have not been initiated,

compared to 27% non-initiation of the general commitments—a difference of 15%. Furthermore,

among those that have been initiated, fewer gender commitments have been fully implemented

compared to general commitments in the Accord. While 25% of general commitments have

been completed, only 8% of the gender commitments are completed, producing a gap of 17%

throughout the Accord. Organized by thematic pillar of the Accord, Point 5 (Victims’ Rights)

has registered the most progress in recent months while other points of the Accord (Points 1

[Comprehensive Rural Reform], 2 [Citizen Participation], and 4 [Illicit crop substitution]) have

had less progress.

Introducing a temporal dimension to the monitoring of the implementation, the Kroc Institute

compared the Framework Plan for Implementation (PMI)—a national government policy

document that provides indicators and timelines for implementation of the Final Accord—to the

130 gender commitments identified by the Institute. The largest implementation gap between

all the commitments and those with a focus on gender lies in their initiation. Implementation of

many commitments for women’s rights have not begun as of yet, despite all but two having

initiation dates after 2019 as established in the PMI. Additionally, 28 of the commitments with

PMI completion dates for 2019 have not even been initiated. The comparison also reveals that

more than half of the gender commitments have completion dates from 2019-2026, meaning

they encompass medium- to long-term actions.

The report also presents a qualitative analysis of four issues identified as priorities by key actors

and women’s organizations during technical working groups with the international component.

The first of these is territorial transformation, which includes Comprehensive Rural Reform and

the substitution of crops used for illicit purposes, as fundamental components for addressing

some of the root causes of the armed conflict. If the initiatives to provide land access, create

The technical working groups are spaces facilitated by the international accompaniment component for the imple-

mentation of gender commitments in the Final Accord, with the purpose of collecting concerns and perspectives of

the various women’s and LGBT organizations working in peacebuilding.

Executive Summary

Development Plans with a Territorial Focus (PDET), and undertake a National Comprehensive

Program for the Substitution of Crops Used for Illicit Purposes (PNIS) are not implemented

comprehensively and simultaneously, with women actively participating in decision-making, the

transformation of the territories in the Colombian countryside as designed by the Peace Accord

will not be possible.

Nonetheless, the report recognizes important progress made by the Ministry of Agriculture,

National Land Agency (ANT), and Office of the Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and

Consolidation, in terms of affirmative gender actions in programs such as Formalizar para

Sustituir (Formalize to Substitute) and El Campo Emprende (Entreprenuers in the Countryside),

among others. It is necessary to continue strengthening the gender perspective and to coordinate

different actions for this purpose.

Regarding security guarantees, the implementation of the Final Accord has generated

valuable opportunities for the participation and leadership of women. However, the delay in the

implementation of commitments related to collective and community protection has allowed the

emergence of new risk factors for female social leaders and human-rights defenders, especially

those in ethnic and rural communities. Women leaders continue to face gender-specific risks,

such as sexual violence and torture.

Important advances for gender-related security guarantees have been highlighted for the period

analyzed, such as: the inclusion of two women’s organizations, the National Women’s Summit

and GPAZ, as permanent guests of the National Commission on Security Guarantees (CNGS);

the launch of the gender working group and affirmative approaches of said commission; and

the reactivation of the Intersectoral Commission for Women’s Guarantees. On a negative note,

the Comprehensive Program of Guarantees for Women Leaders and Human Rights Defenders

does not yet have the multi-annual plan of action that makes its implementation viable over the

coming years.

The disarmament and reincorporation of the FARC-EP prompted the rearrangement of other

illegal armed groups in a struggle for control over certain territories, local populations, and

legal and illegal extractive economies. This has led to an increase in violence against the civilian

population and threats against women leaders in the areas most affected by the armed conflict.

From 2016 to September 2019, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human

Rights (OHCHR) has documented around 320 cases of murders of human rights defenders, 36

of whom were women and six that belonged to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT)

Executive Summary

community.

According to the Ombudsman’s Office, between February 2018 and May 2019,

447 threats towards female leaders were registered, usually involving sexist content and sexual

advances.

As noted by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in his most recent report

on “Women and Peace and Security,”

specific legal, social, and physical protection measures

are required for and with civil society women who suffer threats, harassment, violence, and hate

speech, while women’s organizational and leadership initiatives must be strengthened.

Progress has been made in the inclusion of measures with a focus on women’s rights in

the reincorporation of ex-members of the FARC-EP, including initiatives carried out by the

Reincorporation and Normalization Agency (ARN), as well as the approval of CONPES 3931

of 2018 that incorporates 18 specific affirmative measures. The report also highlights the

continuation of the Gender Working Group of the National Reincorporation Council (CNR)

and a significant number of self-managed initiatives by the ex-combatant population and the

accompaniment of international collaborators.

However, the sustainability of livelihood initiatives is at risk due to issues associated

with land access and the participation of women in processes of social, economic, and

political reincorporation. Regarding participation, barriers to access to health services and

professionalization of knowledge remain, as well as additional burdens associated with domestic

work and non-remunerated care tasks. Additionally, as ex-combatants leave the assigned

cantonment zones and established settlements elsewhere, new institutional challenges have

arisen, including the provision of basic social services and the comprehensive rights guarantees

for ex-combatants and their communities.

The highest level of implementation for gender commitments during the period under analysis

was registered in Point 5 of the Accord. The institutions that make up the Comprehensive System

for Truth, Justice, Reparation, and Non-Recurrence (SIVJRNR) recognize parity as a guiding

principle of their institutional structure. Women have been assigned to decision-making positions

Alberto Brunori, “Threats, attacks, and murders against human rights defenders in Colombia,” Office of the United

Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, September 26, 2019,

https://www.hchr.org.co/index.php/informacion-publica/pronunciamientos/intervenciones-de-la-direccion/442-

ano-2019/9104-amenazas-ataques-y-asesinatos-contra-personas-defensoras-de-los-derechos-humanos-en-co-

lombia.

See: Ombudsman’s Office, “Defensorial Report: Gender-based Violence and Discrimination,” (Bogotá, 2019),

http://www.defensoria.gov.co/public/pdf/Informe%20Defensorial-Violencias-Basadas-Genero-Discriminacion.pdf;

“We will continue working with all women supporting the commitment they have with life: Ombudsman at Forum

for Life in Cali,” Office of the Ombudsman, July 3, 2019, https://bit.ly/2ncswUH.

Secretary General of the United Nations, “S/2019/800 - Las Mujeres y la paz y la seguridad,” United Nations,

October 9, 2019, paragraph 121, section c, https://undocs.org/es/S/2019/800.

OXFAM, “Defenders of the Earth, the Territory, and the Environment: Guardians of life,” (Bogotá, April 2019), 26.

Executive Summary

and specific work teams for implementation of gender commitments. Likewise, mechanisms

have been designed and implemented to promote the participation of women, LGBT populations,

and ethnic communities. Methodologies and instruments have been incorporated that ensure

ethnic and gender diversity in the conformation of the teams, in the information systems, and in

the data collection and analytical processes. This makes evident the institutional adoption of a

gender-based approach in the entities of the SIVJRNR, especially in the Truth, Coexistence, and

Non-Recurrence Commission (CEV) and the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP).

It is necessary to continue the implementation of these actions to guarantee the right to truth,

justice, and reparations for women and LGBT citizens, and to make greater efforts to ensure the

integrality and sustainability of the SIVJRNR. Actions include advancing the reparation processes

that are part of the Attention and Comprehensive Reparation of Victims Policy or upholding the

non-recurrence commitments contained in the Accord.

The report argues that with women at the center of the implementation, peace will be more

sustainable and with better quality. Investing in women—in their political and economic

empowerment, their transformative reparations, and their role as rebuilders of the social fabric

affected by the armed conflict—is an accelerator of peace and development. Although progress

has been made in the implementation of gender commitments, there are also gaps compared to

the levels of general implementation, which involve greater efforts to preserve the integrity of the

130 affirmative measures of the Accord as a condition of the quality and sustainability of peace.

To fill these gaps, the report prioritizes the most important recommendations that can be

implemented by the current administration. These are aimed at consolidating the advances of

recent years, promoting the implementation of high-impact programs, and accelerating and

assuring budget allocation for the implementation of commitments based on gender equality.

Additionally, it is important to deepen the cooperation of the parties in the implementation of the

Accord with the active participation of women and the support of the international community.

Introduction

he international accompaniment component, which includes Sweden, the Women’s

International Democratic Federation (FDIM), UN Women, and the Kroc Institute for International

Peace Studies, presents the second joint report on the implementation of the gender perspective

in the Final Accord. The report summarizes the implementation progress and challenges that

have emerged since the agreement was signed in order to provide not only monitoring data but

also to identify best practices and priority areas relevant to decision-making actors involved.

The qualitative analysis of the implementation of the gender perspective spans the period from

September 2018 to August 2019, while the quantitative data on the levels of implementation

have been cumulative from the start of the implementation of the Accord to August 2019.

Three years after the signing of the Colombian Peace Accord, the process has reached a critical

inflection point whereby it has become essential to consolidate implementation at the territorial

level. For this, it is necessary to reflect on lessons and actions that may ensure the materialization

of the Accord’s transformative spirit in the areas most affected by the armed conflict. Improving

the quality of implementation and building peace requires focusing on gender commitments.

Compared to the average progress in the implementation of the Accord’s general commitments

to date, gaps in the implementation of gender stipulations have continued to appear.

For this reason, the Government of Colombia and the FARC must be urged to strengthen their

commitment to the gender perspective as it relates to peacebuilding, and to recognize that

bolstering the effective participation and rights of women in this area will generate valuable

opportunities for transformation and progress. The implementation of gender commitments is

also necessary for compliance with the international regulations agreed to in the Accord. These

regulations include the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and

Security, which celebrates its 20th anniversary on October 31, 2020.

This report is divided into three large sections. The first section presents advances in the

implementation of the gender commitments from a quantitative perspective, utilizing the

monitoring methodology created by the Kroc Institute. This analysis shows that despite the

progress made in this period—particularly in the incorporation of the gender perspective in

the Comprehensive System for Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Recurrence (SIVJRNR)—

there is still a sizeable gap between general implementation and implementation of gender

commitments.

Introduction

The second section presents qualitative analysis of four issues identified as priorities by

key actors and women’s organizations during technical working group sessions with the

international accompaniment component. These four issues are: 1) territorial transformation,

which includes implementation of the gender perspective in Comprehensive Rural Reform and

the National Comprehensive Program for the Substitution of Crops Used for Illicit Purposes

(PNIS); 2) security guarantees and protection of the integrity and life of all women, especially

female human rights defenders, women leaders, indigenous, afro-Colombian, Rrom, and rural

women, as well as members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) population;

3) reincorporation of former members of the FARC-EP; and 4) victims’ rights and SIVJRNR

transitional justice activities.

The third section presents conclusions, summarizing the findings of the report and highlighting

the importance of translating institutional and regulatory advances into territorial enforcement

and promotion of women’s human rights. This final section also outlines recommendations and

identifies opportunities for accelerating implementation of specific aspects related to the Final

Accord’s thematic pillars.

Methodology for measuring the implementation levels of gender commitments

As a framework, the present analysis considers the gender commitments located in the text of

the Final Accord as identified by the Kroc Institute and UN Women, as well as the definition of the

gender perspective as a transversal and guiding principle for implementation as highlighted in

Point 6 of the Accord. The gender perspective for implementation contains four central ideas: 1)

ensuring that men and women enjoy equal rights; 2) the need to guarantee affirmative measures

and differentiated actions to promote gender equality; 3) recognition of the disproportionate

effects and impacts of armed conflict on women; and 4) the full inclusion and equal participation

of women and their organizations. Below is the definition of the gender perspective contained

in the Accord:

Introduction

“In this Accord, the gender perspective refers to the

recognition of equal rights between men and women

and the special circumstances faced by each gender,

especially women, regardless of their marital status, life

cycle, and family and community relationship, as a subject

with rights and special constitutional protections. It implies

in particular the need to guarantee affirmative measures

to promote equality, the active participation of women and

their organizations in peacebuilding, and the recognition

of the victimization of women as a result of the conflict. In

order to ensure effective equality, affirmative measures that

respond to the disproportionate impacts of armed conflict

on women, in particular sexual violence, must be advanced.

Regarding the rights of victims, their protection should

entail differential treatment that recognizes the causes and

disproportionate effects that the armed conflict has had

on certain populations, especially women. In addition,

affirmative actions must be taken so that women can access

the plans and programs contained in this Accord on equal

terms. The participation of women and their organizations

and their equitable representation in the different spaces

of participation will be guaranteed. The gender perspective

should be understood and applied transversally throughout

the implementation of the entire Accord.”

“

The Kroc Institute’s methodology for monitoring the implementation of the Final Accord in general,

and the gender perspective in particular, is supported by the methodology of the Peace Accords

Matrix (PAM) developed by the University of Notre Dame.

To monitor the implementation of

the Final Accord, the Kroc Institute has identified 578 stipulations, which are understood as

concrete, observable, and measurable commitments located in the final text of the agreement.

Negotiation Table, “Final Agreement to End the Armed Conflict and Build a Stable and Lasting Peace,” (Colombia:

Office of the High Commissioner for Peace, 2017), 193.

Madhav Joshi and Jason Quinn, Peace Accords Matrix Implementation Dataset, V.1.5 (July 29, 2015), Kroc Insti-

tute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, https://peaceAccords.nd.edu/research.

Introduction

Of these 578 stipulations, 130 have been identified as having a gender perspective

—that is,

they commit the signatory parties (the Colombian government and the FARC) to implementing

specific affirmative actions to ensure the prioritization of women and LGBT populations in

programs related to the implementation of the Accord; encourage the leadership and participation

of women and the LGBT populations in certain bodies or implementation processes; address

aspects such as structural discrimination and the disproportionate impact of the armed conflict

on women, girls, and LGBT; and guarantee equitable access to the programs and benefits of the

Accord. These stipulations promote gender equality and are part of the implementation matrix

developed in a collaborative process with key actors monitoring the implementation of this

perspective.

The analysis in this report was constructed in accordance with the Kroc Institute’s methodology,

incorporating the resources and technical support provided by UN Women, the Swedish

Embassy, and FDIM. It includes information provided by women’s organizations, networks,

and platforms in Colombia, as well as LGBT organizations at the national and territorial levels.

Throughout the period covered by this report, the Kroc Institute and the FDIM have accompanied

the territorial meetings of the Special Forum for the Implementation of the Gender Perspective

in the Final Accord to help guarantee a focus on women’s rights in the implementation of the

Final Accord.

The report also includes conclusions from the two technical working groups

organized by

UN Women, the FDIM, and Sweden, as well as information from the various assessments

produced by women’s groups related to Final Accord implementation. These working groups

have produced data on the progress, delays, and concerns associated with the implementation

process. They have provided important opportunities to socialize and validate early versions of

the analysis contained in this report among civil society and women’s organizations, as well

as among women in remote territories and those that pertain to black and indigenous ethnic

groups.

According to Article 8 of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security,

peace agreements must have a “gender perspective,” United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women,

Peace, and Security, S/RES/1325, October 31, 2000, 3.

For more information on the methodology of the Kroc Institute for monitoring the implementation of the gen-

der-based approach, we recommend consulting the first report; Barometer Initiative, Matrix of Peace Agreements,

Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, UN Women, FDIM, & Sweden, “Special Report of the Kroc Institute

and the International Accompaniment Component, UN Women, FDIM, and Sweden, on the Monitoring of the Gender

Perspective in the Implementation of the Colombian Final Peace Accord. December 2016 to June 2018,” (Report 1,

Bogotá, Colombia, 2018) https://kroc.nd.edu/assets/294960/181030_informe_ge_nero_esp_final_2_.pdf.

Swedish Embassy, UN Women, FDIM, “Balance of the monitoring of the implementation of the Final Accord with

a gender-based approach,” (First Gender Technical Working Group/Forum, Bogotá, April 11, 2019); Swedish Em-

bassy, UN Women, FDIM, “Balance of the monitoring of the implementation of the Final Accord with a gender-based

approach,” (Second Gender Technical Working Group Bogotá, September 5, 2019).

General overview

of implementation with a

gender perspective

he Kroc Institute’s Barometer Initiative monitors the implementation of the gender perspective

of the Colombian Accord by measuring progress in the implementation of 130 commitments

related to gender equality and women’s rights. Comparison of these gender commitments to the

entire Accord shows that despite the progress made—particularly in the implementation of a

gender perspective by the SIVJRNR—implementation of these affirmative measures is lagging

behind general implementation.

This implementation gap is shown in Figure 1. The first bar refers to the levels of implementation

of the commitments with a gender perspective, and the second bar refers to the levels of

implementation of all the commitments in the Accord. The figure shows that 42% of the gender

commitments have not been initiated, while only 27% of all Accord commitments have not been

initiated, signifying a lag of 15 percentage points. Likewise, only 8% of gender commitments have

been completed, while 25% of commitments in the overall agreement have been implemented,

marking a difference of 17 percentage points.

Figure

Implementation of commitments with a

gender perspective vs. full implementation

of the Colombian Accord - August 2019

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not Initiated

Minimum

Intermediate

Complete

42%

40%

10% 8%

Implementation of the 130

Commitments which

require a gender-based

approach - August 2019

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

27%

35%

13% 25%

Overall Implementation of all

commitments in the accord -

August 2019

General overview

Introducing a temporal dimension to monitoring, the Kroc Institute compared the Framework

Plan for Implementation (PMI)—a policy document that provides indicators as well as

scheduled start- and end-dates for the implementation of the Final Agreement—with the 130

gender commitments in the Matrix. Results from the comparison indicate that 90 of the 130

commitments have at least one indicator in the PMI. According to the PMI document, more

than half of the 90 commitments must be completed from 2019-2026, meaning many of the

gender initiatives are comprised by medium- to long-term actions. The scheduled end-dates

included in the PMI reveal additional implementation gaps in gender-related commitments: 28

of the commitments with completion dates up to 2019 have not yet been initiated. These gaps

indicate the low likelihood that many of the gender commitments will be fully implemented by

their deadlines.

Although the implementation of gender commitments lags behind general implementation of the

Accord, the number of commitments implemented has increased almost every month since the

implementation process began in December 2016. In Figure 2, the bottom line shows that, as

of August 2019, 58% of the commitments focused on gender (76 of 130) have been initiated or

completed, while the top line shows that, as of August 2019, 73% of the Accord’s commitments

(421 of 578) have been initiated or completed.

The space between these two lines represents the gap between the gender-based implementation

and the overall implementation of the Agreement. At the beginning of 2019, it seemed that this

gap was decreasing—in January 2019 the difference was 12 percentage points —however, it

has increased slightly to 15 percentage points in August 2019.

General overview

Figure

Monthly levels of implementation of

commitments focused on gender vs.

implementation of all commitments in

the Accord

14%

18%

27%

36%

40%

43%

47%

52%

60%

64%

67%

68%

69%

70%

72%

73%

12%

22% 22%

25%

30%

41%

47%

50%

53%

54%

55%

58% 58% 58%

58%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Dic 2016

Jan 2017

Feb 2017

Mar 2017

Apr 2017

May 2017

Jun 2017

Jul 2017

Aug 2017

Sep 2017

Oct 2017

Nov 2017

Dec 2017

Jan 2

018

Feb 2018

Mar 2018

Apr 2018

May 2018

Jun 2018

Jul 2018

Aug 2018

Sep 2018

Oct 2018

Nov 2018

Dec 2018

Jan 2019

Feb 2019

Mar 2019

Apr 2019

May 2019

Jun 2019

Jul 2019

Aug 2019

Percentage general implementation

Percentage Implementation with

Gender Approach

As of August 2019, only four gender commitments have been fully implemented, and five have

reached intermediate levels of implementation. Most of these commitments are related to the

SIVJRNR. Both the CEV and the JEP’s Investigation and Prosecution Unit (UIA) have active

working groups on gender or sexual violence.

Additionally, at the beginning of June 2019, both

the CEV and JEP held a series of meetings with women and members of LGBT communities who

are victims of the armed conflict to communicate their operations and listen to the testimonies

of the victims.

Although gender commitments have shown progress in Point 5 of the Accord (Rights of Victims),

less progress has been made during this period in other points of the Accord. Figure 3 presented

Advances, challenges, setbacks, and opportunities for the implementation of the Gender- based Approach,”

(Expert Dialogue: Gender and the SIVJRNR, Bogotá, April 4, 2019); Official (Investigation and Accusation Unit of

the Special Jurisdiction for Peace) interview conducted by the Kroc Institute team, June 28, 2019.

Truth, Coexistence, and Non-Recurrence Commission, “The truth of the sexual violence that the war has left in

Colombia,” (June 27, 2019),

https://comisiondelaverdad.co/actualidad/noticias/la-verdad-de-las-violencias-sexuales-que-ha-dejado-la-guerra-

en-colombia; Investigation and Prosecution Unit, “Women of Soacha and Bogotá participate in the Third National

Workshop with Victims of Sexual Violence,” (Communiqué 017, July 29, 2019),

https://www.jep.gov.co/SiteAssets/Paginas/JEP/uia/Sala-de-prensa/Comunicado%20017%20-%20Mujeres%20

de%20Soacha%20y%20Bogot%C3%A1,%20participan%20en%20el%20Tercer%20Taller%20Nacional%20

con%20V%C3%ADctimas%20de%20Violencia%20Sexual.pdf.

General overview

below shows the percentages of implementation of commitments focused on gender for each

of the points of the Accord. The highest levels of full implementation of commitments focused

on gender are in Point 6 (Implementation and Verification) and Point 5 (Rights of Victims). In

Point 1 (Comprehensive Rural Reform), Point 2 (Political Participation), and Point 4 (Substitution

of Crops Used for Illicit Purposes), less than 3% of the gender-related commitments have been

completed, and these points have the highest percentages of uninitiated commitments.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Figure

Implementation of the 130 gender

commitments per point of the Accord –

August 2019

Not Initiated

Minimum

Intermediate

Complete

17%

17% 50%

18%

27%

18% 36%

47%

37%

16%

33%

50%

8% 8%

35%

48%

13% 3%

59%

36%

3%3%

Implementation and

Verification

Victims

Illicit Use Crops

End of the Conflict

Political Participation

Rural Reform

This quantitative analysis coincides with the qualitative analysis presented in this report, as it

concludes that, although significant progress has been made in terms of the implementation of

the gender perspective, its implementation levels still lag behind those of the general Accord,

particularly in the initiation of the commitments. It is necessary that the Government continues

to initiate the implementation of the commitments focused on gender equality to ensure that they

are fully implemented by the deadline contemplated by the PMI.

Priority areas

in the implementation of the Final

Accord with a gender perspective

1. Territorial

transformation:

Comprehensive Rural

Reform and substitution

of crops used for illicit

purposes

The implementation of Comprehensive Rural

Reform (Point 1) and the National Integral

Program for the Substitution of Crops Used

for Illicit Purposes (Point 4) are fundamental

for structurally transforming the countryside,

creating sufficient welfare conditions for women

and men, contributing to non-recurrence, and building stable

and lasting peace. The content of these two points is critical because it addresses some of

the main causes that gave rise to the armed conflict in Colombia, particularly those related to

poverty and inequality. If the gender and non-gender commitments related to land access, the

Development Plans with a Territorial Focus (PDET), and the National Comprehensive Program for

the Substitution of Crops Used for Illicit Purposes (PNIS) are not implemented comprehensively

and simultaneously, the structural transformation proposed by the Peace Accord will not be

possible.

Unfortunately, in practice, it has been shown that these efforts are often out of sync. The

Government must coordinate, prioritize, and accelerate the implementation commitments

focused on gender in these areas. Specifically, it is essential to prioritize the implementation of

Women’s International Democratic Federation, “FDIM August 2019 Report,” (Bogotá, August 2019), 3.

“

“We insist

on the importance of

the intimate coordination

that must occur between

Point 1 (Comprehensive

Rural Reform) and Point 4

(Substitution of Crops Used

for Illicit Purposes). In this

sense, the progress of one

point depends on the

other.”

Priority areas

women’s rights and gender initiatives within the Action Plan for

Regional Transformation (PATR)

as well as those in the PMI, so

as to strategically include participation from rural women and

demonstrate the potential of comprehensive Peace Accord

implementation.

Initiatives for gender equity in the Colombian territories have

been included in the National Development Plan (PND)

created by Iván Duque’s Administration, making them

more attainable than ever.

However, its inclusion in the

document is not enough. The effective implementation of

these commitments at the territorial level also requires

local governments to act, especially those leaders that

have just been elected for the period 2020-2024. It is

key that territorial development plans be based on local

realities, needs, and strengths; on the inclusion of

concrete measures to protect and guarantee the rights

of women; as well as on the coordination with the

PND and the PATR. This would allow the Colombian

Government to continue advancing in the fulfillment

of the commitments acquired in the Final Accord and

the PMI.

In programs such as the PDET and PNIS, the full

inclusion of rural women in all their diversity depends

on the preparation of necessary information and

opportunities to influence, become involved, and

benefit from the execution of these plans. The

PNIS pilot in Briceño (Antioquia) offers important

lessons for inclusion of women in this regard.

Female participants report that although they

were included in the design of the program, they

did not see their interests and needs represented

in the decision-making spaces. In addition,

the process failed to adequately address the

Law 1955 of May 2019, “Whereby the National Deve-

lopment Plan 2018–2022 is issued. Pact for Colombia,

Pact for Equity,” May 25, Official Gazette. 50, 964.

Priority areas

diversity of participants’ identities and experiences, despite a wide range of ethnic and age

groups being represented.

It is worth noting that particularly for women who belong to ethnic

communities, the lack of a specific decree or law for PNIS in collective territories is a major

obstacle to accessing land and participating in decision-making spaces.

Best practices: integration of gender,

ethnic, and territorial approaches

Analysis of reforms in the territories must take into

account the diversity of rural women and their

intersectionality—the multiple, complex, and overlapping

identities of these women: they are farmers, belong to

different ethnic peoples, and have been victims of the

armed conflict. In this sense, the implementation

monitoring exercise carried out by the Humanas

Corporation in Chocó constitutes a best practice when

recognizing this complexity. Humanas, together with

women's organizations, identified priorities for Chocoana

women in implementation at the regional level, becoming

an example of local prioritization of implementation and

territorial monitoring of gender and ethnicity. This exercise

draws attention as it integrates transversal gender,

ethnic, and territorial approaches.

Box

Embassy of Sweden, UN Women, FDIM, “Balance of the monitoring of the implementation of the Final Accord

with a gender-based approach,” (Second gender technical panel, Bogotá, September 5, 2019).

Corporación Humanas, “Monitoring tool for territorial implementation of the gender measures included in the

Peace Agreement,” Quibdó,” May 2019, https://www.humanas.org.co/alfa/dat_particular/ar/arc_13852_q_Herra-

mienta_de_seguimiento.pdf.

Priority areas

Analysis of the indicators of the gender chapter of the Framework Plan for Imple-

mentation (PMI)

Since the publication of the First Gender Report,

the High Level Government Gender Body has

been established to implement the affirmative measures of the PMI. Of the 51 indicators in the

PMI gender chapter, 19 are related to Point 1 of the Accord, which is equivalent to 37%. The

implementation of these 19 indicators will have an important impact on territorial transformation

and the rights of rural women. Of these 19 indicators, 18 have work plans in effect. The most

important advances that have been identified in relation to these indicators are summarized

below:

• The construction of the PATR was carried out in a participatory manner in the prioritized

areas.

• International accompaniment with technical and financial support to rural communities—

including men and women—was included in the creation and strengthening of cooperatives,

associations, and community organizations through the work of the Special Administrative

Unit of Solidarity Organizations and the National Plan to Promote Cooperative and Solidarity

Rural Economy (PLANFES).

• Credit lines with affirmative actions for women in the purchase of land were established by

the Ministry of Agriculture.

To date no progress has been made in the following PMI indicators:

• The mechanisms of conciliation and resolution of conflicts of use and land tenure have yet

to be introduced. However, the Ministry of Justice is in the process of hiring and including

gender-sensitive training for staff.

• The Ministry of Health is in the process of a regulatory adjustment to fulfilling its commitments

to create special models of public health with a focus on women’s rights to dispersed rural

areas.

Barometer Initiative, Peace Accords Matrix, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, UN Women, FDIM,

Sweden, “Special Report of the Kroc Institute and the International Accompaniment Component, UN Women, FDIM,

and Sweden, to monitor the gender approach in the implementation of the Final Accord December 2016–June

2018,” (Report 1, Bogotá, Colombia, 2018), https://kroc.nd.edu/assets/294960/181030_informe_ge_nero_esp_

final_2_.pdf.

Presidency of the Republic, “Work Plans to comply with the 51 Gender Indicators of the Final Accord Framework

Plan for Implementation,” (2019).

Official (Women and Gender, Victims and Ethnic Affairs Team of the Presidential Council for Stabilization and

Consolidation), interview conducted by the Kroc Institute team, September 18, 2019.

Priority areas

The PMI gender chapter includes 13 indicators related to Point 4, of which 12 indicators have

work plans. To date, important advances have been identified in the Comprehensive Policy

for the Prevention and Attention of the Consumption of Psychoactive Substances launched by

the Ministry of Health. This policy includes gender-sensitive strategies to reduce stigma and

discrimination suffered by women who use psychoactive substances. Also included are gender-

sensitive treatment guidelines. In both cases, the LGBT population is explicitly included.

For Point 4, virtually no progress has been recorded for any of the following commitments:

• Elaboration and implementation of a protocol for the incorporation of the gender perspective

in the diagnosis, development, implementation, and monitoring of the PNIS.

• Participation of women’s organizations in substitution agreements with communities.

• Public access monitoring reports on the progress of the incorporation of a gender perspective

into the PNIS.

• Access to job opportunities for female heads of household, including information services

for the dissemination of the labor supply available in rural areas, with emphasis on the

employment of women in rural employment programs.

• National study led by the Ministry of Justice regarding consumption of psychoactive

substances in Colombia with data disaggregated by gender.

• Information disaggregated by gender to advance in the attention given to consumption of

illicit substances.

Separately, the Women and Gender, Victims, and Ethnic Affairs Team of the Office of the

Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and Consolidation has identified initiatives contained in

the PATRs that are directly related to the fulfillment of any of the 51 gender indicators of the PMI.

According to this source, 34 of the 51 PMI gender indicators are associated with 3,422 PATR

initiatives.

Of these 34, close to half (15) of the indicators are in Point1 of the Accord, and these

Ministry of Health and Social Protection, Resolution 089 of 2019, “Whereby the Comprehensive Policy for the

Prevention and Care of the Consumption of Psychoactive Substances is adopted,” January 16, 2019.

Office of the Comptroller General, “Third report presented to Congress on the expenditures and compliance with

the goals of the peace component for the Pluriannual Investment Plan from November 2016 to March 2019.” This

report examines the budget for 2018 and highlights that the gender indicator was not approved by the Office of the

Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and Consolidation and it is not disaggregated in the UNODC report. For this

reason, there are no results on this matter.

Office of the Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and Consolidation, “An Approach Focused on Women and

Gender in the PATR – PDET,” (working document, November 2019), 1.

Priority areas

are related to 83% (2,837) of these PATR initiatives. The

remainder of the PATR initiatives are distributed in the

following way: in Point 2, there are 338 initiatives related to

eight indicators; in Point 3, there are 18 initiatives related to

two indicators; for Point 4 there are 26 initiatives related to

six indicators; in Point 5, there are 52 initiatives related to

three indicators; and in Point 6 there are 26 initiatives related

to six indicators.

With this information as a baseline, it is important for

the High Level Government Gender Body to promote the

prioritization of the implementation of these measures in

the next 18 months, especially through affirmative actions

designed to benefit rural women. Likewise, it is important

to accelerate the implementation of the PMI indicators

that have a positive effect on the implementation of

the Accord’s critical points. For example, the protocol

for the incorporation of the gender perspective in the

diagnosis, elaboration, implementation, and monitoring

of the PNIS need to be included in municipal and

departmental development plans, along with the

indicators prioritized in the initiatives of the PATRs and

the Comprehensive Community Plans for Substitution

of Crops and Alternative Development (PISDA).

Priority areas

Good practices: Special Forum for the

Implementation of the Gender Based

Approach in the Final Accord

The Special Forum constitutes a novel participatory

experience marked by the inclusion of women’s

movements in the implementation of the Peace Accord.

Most of its current members represent different

grassroots women’s movements and organizations in the

territories. Since its creation, the Forum has achieved

important results, including: 1) tripartite monitoring of the

points of the Accord; 2) the signing of an agreement with

the Office of the Presidential Councilor for Stabilization

and Consolidation to monitor the route to the action plans

and indicators of the gender chapter of the Framework

Plan for Implementation (PMI); 3) educational

opportunities and support for women in the municipalities

prioritized for the Development Plans with a Territorial

Focus (PDET) and the SIVJRNR, which allows them to

appropriate elements for advocacy at the territorial level;

4) the provision of spaces for ex-combatant women to

reflect on the progress and difficulties in the

reincorporation process. Given the important role played

by the Special Forum, it is important to develop a

sustainability strategy for the mechanism, ensuring it

remains in operation for the short and medium term, and

receiving technical, political, and financial support not only

from international collaborators, but also jointly from the

Colombian State.

Box

Priority areas

Good practices: Women's citizen oversight

on the implementation of the gender

perspective in the Peace Agreement.

The Final Accord placed at the center of the agenda the

importance of citizen control and oversight as a

participation mechanism to involve citizens more closely

with the monitoring of public management around its

implementation. With the support of the FDIM, the

women of the departments of Magdalena and Cesar

and of the Sumapaz region have been able to produce

participation of women in the implementation of gender

commitments in the Accord. With these legally

constituted initiatives, they have managed to use

participation mechanisms to access accurate

information of the progress in the implementation of the

agreement, analyzing and contrasting this information

with those of the communities, and strengthening

advocacy actions with a view to improving

implementation quality.

Box

Development Plans with a Territorial Focus (PDET)

The PDET highlights the participation of women in planning and implementation processes, as

well as in citizen oversight mechanisms and affirmative actions included in the PDET regulatory

decree. As mentioned above, one of the indicators of the PMI that has shown progress in the

last year is related to the strategies adopted to promote the participation of women in these

instances as well as in the PATR.

However, despite the massive number of women’s organizations that participated in these

processes, a large part of the women’s movement reports that their organizations in the

territories face significant barriers to access. This is due, among other factors, to the method

Women’s International Democratic Federation (FDIM), “Citizens’ Oversight, the Peace Agreement, and the Gen-

der-based Approach,” (Bogotá, May 28, 2019).

Priority areas

used for recruiting these organizations, which limited effective participation. This negatively

affected the incorporation of the gender perspective, essentially overlooking the needs and

priorities of women in the initiatives and projects contained in the PATR.

Considering the contents and scope of the initiatives formulated in the PATRs, it is evident that

these instruments did not incorporate the gender perspective in a uniform manner. However,

thanks to the participation of women, of the 32,809 initiatives contained in the PATR in the 16

subregions and 170 PDET municipalities, 1,169 initiatives directly refer to issues related to

women and gender. About 3,239 have the potential to benefit women and contribute to gender

equity if implemented with this approach.

These initiatives represent about 13% of the content

of the PATR. In the future, they can be a prioritization criterion to harmonize PATRs with local

development plans and public budgets for the next terms of local governments.

According to the Office of the Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and Consolidation, the

regions that most incorporated initiatives to improve gender equality were Alto Patía and Norte

del Cauca (26.66%), Montes de María (12.09%), and Caguán Basin and Cadeño Piedemonte

(11.66%). The regions with the least initiatives were Sur de Bolívar, Sur de Córdoba, and Urabá

Antioqueño.

Cases such as Alto Patía and Norte del Cauca demonstrate the fundamental role

that women have during the process of formulating the PATR in this region. It also demonstrates

the need to strengthen the active citizenship of women in other regions of the country, where their

participation has not been reflected. In any case, whether in places with high or low participation

of women, the implementation of gender-based initiatives of the 16 PATRs is an opportunity at

the territorial level to strengthen the role of women as managers of local peace and development

within the framework of the implementation process of the Final Accord.

Office of the Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and Consolidation, “An Approach Focused on Women and

Gender in the PATR – PDET,” (working document, November 2019), 1.

Ibid.

Priority areas

Best practices: women and their

organizations as implementers of the

Accord at the local level

Among the key roles that women and their organizations

can play are those of operators of small infrastructure

projects and PDET projects, or of implementers of

initiatives at the community level. In this regard, Juan

Carlos Zambrano, director of the Territorial Renewal

Agency (ART), has stressed that small works can be and

are being developed by the communities. He has

affirmed the importance of women’s work in terms of

resources given to the population, since they execute

and render accounts within their communities.

Zambrano mentions the experience of Buenos Aires

(Cauca) where the Association of Mothers and Heads of

Household Affected by the Armed Conflict built a

classroom with excellent design and structure to teach

their children. In this joint work with the Territorial

Renewal Agency (ART), women have helped build trust

and execute public works within a brief period.

Box

In spite of the advances at the community level, the political will of the local and national public

sector is necessary to ensure a sufficient budget for the fulfillment of what has been agreed to

within the framework of the PATR. According to the multi-party monitoring report from Congress

on the implementation of the Peace Agreement, “the investment made through community

infrastructure works in the PDET municipalities ($56.4 billion [pesos]) is equivalent to 0.08% of

the total cost required for its materialization ($70.1 trillion [pesos]). To achieve the stabilization

of the territory and the fulfillment of the goals of the Accord, we should be investing at least

$4.67 trillion [pesos] per year.”

Juan Carlos Zambrano (ART Director), “Intervention on PDET works,” (Peace with Legality Talk of the Office of

the Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and Consolidation, Bogotá, August 12, 2019).

Congress of the Republic of Colombia, “How goes the peace agreement, one year after the start of Duque’s

government? Challenges and recommendations. Report 01: Multi-partisan monitoring of the implementation of the

Peace Agreement,” (Bogotá, 2019), 9.

Priority areas

National Comprehensive Program for the Substitution of Crops Used for Illicit Pur-

poses (PNIS) and Comprehensive Community Plans for Substitution of Crops and

Alternative Development (PISDA)

In the process of substituting crops used for illicit purposes, there are valuable examples of

female leadership in peacebuilding. However, the PNIS’ approach to the inclusion of women

is insufficient given that it fails to incorporate “concrete measures either in the principles or

in legislation that make reference” to this approach.

Additionally, there is no specific policy

guide to implement the PNIS with a focus on gender or a special PNIS decree in the collective

territories that regulates the participation of women in ethnic communities. These omissions are

of great importance for women participating in the production chain, given that “about half of the

members of the families that live in coca-producing areas are women (46.9%). In addition, 29%

of families are headed by females.”

These figures show that the implementation of this policy

(or lack thereof) generates a strong impact on the female population.

Women resort to the cultivation, scraping, and transporting of the coca leaf, and they provide

food for workers in production, to earn a living and ensure the survival of their families. For this

reason, the policies for eradicating coca have a significant impact on women and their families.

This situation, which affects thousands of rural women, underscores the need to advance in

comprehensive crop substitution policies, which include differentiated criminal treatment for

small women farmers, integral drug treatment measures such as those found in Ruta Futuro

plan for 2018-2022, the formulation of the PNIS with an affirmative approach by the ART, as well

as the comprehensive consumer prevention policy.

The PISDA construction process was carried out jointly with the municipal PDET process. Some

of the projects included measures related to women’s rights. For example, in the region of Alto

Patía and Norte del Cauca, the “development and implementation of comprehensive livelihood

projects included an ethnic-sensitive focus on gender equality and women’s empowerment.”

Women continue to face risks when in leadership roles or as they gain prominence in the

implementation of the PNIS. For example, in San Miguel (Putumayo), the head of the PNIS and

deputy leader of the National Coordinator of Coca, Poppy, and Marijuana Growers (Coccam),

Barometer Initiative, Peace Accords Matrix, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, UN Women, FDIM,

Sweden, “Special Report of the Kroc Institute and the International Component, UN Women, FDIM and Sweden, on

the monitoring of the gender approach in the implementation of the Final Accord,” (Report 1, Bogotá, Colombia,

2018), 25, https://kroc.nd.edu/assets/294960/181030_informe_ge_nero_esp_final_2_.pdf.

Humanas Colombia - Regional Center for Human Rights and Gender Justice, “Point Four of the Peace Agreement:

Analysis and Realities of Women,” (Newsletter: Paz con mujeres, 2019) 3, https://www.humanas.org.co/alfa/

dat_particular/arch_contenidos/i_e_38357_q_Boleti__769;n_Punto_cuatro.pdf.

Territory Renewal Agency, “PISDA initiatives identified,” (internal document, May 16, 2019).

Priority areas

in addition to the organization of Andino-amazonic

Women, received personal threats against her and

her family before her husband was murdered. For

this reason, she and her family have left Putumayo

and now cannot access their PNIS benefits. Both

the Attorney General’s Office and the Department

of Substitution have notified her that she must

move to another PNIS area or otherwise her

connection to the Program will be terminated.

This case shows the risk faced by women

who break gender stereotypes and exercise

leadership in the PNIS programs.

Another potential risk to PNIS in 2020 is

the lack of funding because this affects

the physical, economic, and food security

of women in rural areas. Funding affects

protection for female leaders, the

sustainability of alternative economic

projects post-substitution, as well as

food assistance for families participating

in substitution programs. It is estimated

that of the 99,097 families in PNIS

programs, 94% have complied with

voluntary eradication despite delays

in state support. Delays have meant

that only 0.7% of families have had

access to livelihood projects and only

36% have had access to technical

assistance, while 62% have received

food assistance and 33% access to

food safety programs. Illicit crop

substitution must remain a priority

Women’s Forum, “Balance of monitor-

ing the implementation of the Final Accord

with a gender-based approach,” (Interven-

tion, Second gender working group of the

Swedish Embassy, UN Women, FDIM,

Bogotá, September 5, 2019).

Priority areas

for the Government and must include a focus on gender and ethnicity with differential and

affirmative measures.

Rural women and access to land

The 2018-2022 National Development Plan acknowledges that rural women have less access to

land than men, less participation in decision-making both in their homes and in their productive

units, and less access to financial instruments.

Although there are low levels of implementation

of legislative reforms necessary for rural reform, and even lower levels of measures adopted

for the inclusion of a gender focus at the territorial level,

there are several actions that have

been undertaken by the Colombian State to provide women with access to land and livelihood

projects. The Office of the Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and Consolidation, the National

Land Agency (ANT), and the Ministry of Agriculture highlight the following actions:

• Community initiatives support the creation or strengthening of sustainable agro-food activities,

traditional agroforestry systems, and community nurseries for indigenous communities.

According to the ANT, there have been 8 projects implemented benefiting 1,327 women,

along with 10 specific projects for black communities benefiting 376 women.

• Formalizar para sustituir (Formalize to Substitute), a program that submits property deeds to

families in order to promote illicit crop substitution, reports that as of March 31, 2019, there

have been 1,546 property deeds delivered, of which 728 correspond to women.

• As of August 30, 2019, 35,029 hectares of land were formalized through different deeds,

benefiting 5,403 female farmers. During 2018, the Sub-Directorate of Access to Lands of

the ANT in Montes de María carried out the formalization of 390 vacant lots, of which 54%

were assigned to women. In Cauca, 52 farmers were awarded property titles, of which 28%

correspond to female beneficiaries.

• In the land access and titling programs promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, between

August 2018 and September 2019, a total of 5,865 women benefited, representing 48% of

Ibid.

In particular, rural development plans and the creation of an agrarian jurisdiction or specialty in justice.

National Land Agency, “Accountability Report January 2018 – December 2018. Peacebuilding,” (Bogotá,

2019), 124, 126.

Office of the Inspector General of the Nation Delegated for the Monitoring of the Peace Agreement, “First report

to Congress on the status of Progress of the Implementation of the Peace Agreement 2016–2019,” (Bogotá,

2019), 203, https://bit.ly/2kkmiAZ.

National Land Agency, “Accountability Report, January 2018 – December 2018. Peacebuilding,” (Bogotá,

2019).

Priority areas

the total beneficiaries. Specifically, a total of 2,320 women formalized their land and obtained

titles, while 3,245 women were enrolled in the Adjudicación de Baldíos a Persona Natural

(Unused Land Adjudication program). Additionally, 162 women gained access to land

through the Comprehensive Land Subsidy Program.

• Coseche y venda a la fija (Harvest and sell program)

has sought to achieve financial

inclusion for women in order to empower them. To this end, it includes an exclusive credit

line for production with affirmative actions for rural women.

• In terms of income generation of the peasant, family, and community economy, El Campo

Emprende (the entrepreneurship program for the countryside), finances rural enterprises

with the aim of increasing income generation especially for women. Over the four enrollment

stages of this program, a total of 7,467 people benefited, including 4,301 women (58%). For

the enrollment in April 2019, there was an investment of $47,729 million pesos, of which

$27,320 million pesos will be allocated to co-financing business plans for 7,267 people, with

a total of 3,633 women.

Regarding the land survey, Document CONPES 3859 of November 26, 2018

constitutes the

policy for a national, multipurpose survey. It proposes that 26,000 titles be given to women with

tenure rights recognized by the ANT in theirs or their partner’s name. This document provides

the guidelines for a pilot phase of the rural land survey and includes a focus on women’s rights,

however to date it has not been entered into law. Advancing in this area is fundamental for

women’s rights to land and property.

In the Registry of beneficiaries of land access and formalization and the National Land Fund

(RESO) there is a gap in the target population between women and men that have completed

the application process: 53.36% of the beneficiaries are male, compared to 45.76% who are

female. In this context, the ANT must strengthen affirmative actions to increase the entry of

women to property access programs.

Ministry of Agriculture, “Infographic I Institutional offer for rural women at the national level,” supplied to the Kroc

Institute by officials of the Directorate of Rural Women during a meeting, September 17, 2019.

The program purpose of the Ministry of Agriculture is for small producers to overcome financial barriers by re-

ducing credit guarantee problems in a context of informal land tenure. The program ensures the future purchase of

a crop from a producer through a contract, and this contract serves as collateral or guarantee to the banks.

Javier Pérez (Vice Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) interview conducted by the Kroc

Institute team, August 23, 2019.

Ministry of Agriculture, “Infographic II Institutional offer for rural women at the national level,” provided to the

Kroc Institute by officials of the Directorate of Rural Women during a meeting, September 17, 2019.

A concept favorable to the nation to contract external credit operations with multilateral banks for up to USD

$150 million, or its equivalent in other currencies, intended to partially finance the program for the adoption and

implementation of a rural-urban multipurpose [land] survey.

Priority areas

During the design and development of the Social Organization of Rural Property Plan (POSPR),

the gender perspective was established transversally to guarantee the participation of rural

women in order to reduce historical gaps in access to land and legal land rights security. Thus,

during the enlistment stage of these plans, the ANT teams had to identify the victims of historical

discrimination (including women and the LGBT population) in the prioritized municipalities.

These groups appear to be participating in the process.

In the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta subregion during 2018, the ANT POSPR team in the

North Caribbean region made a bold move by identifying women who play a key role in their

communities and encouraging their participation in the Semilleros de la Tierra y el Territorio.

The gender-sensitive strategy of these seedbanks aims to make visible the care economy

and the diversity of women’s relationships with the land as owners, tenants, and occupants.

However, during 2019, the suspension of the POSPR by the ANT via Resolution 660 implied the

interruption of the Semilleros de la Tierra y el Territorio, limiting the effective participation of rural

women in management plans. The ANT must resume the execution of the POSPR, requiring that

ANT professionals involved in the formulation of these plans continue to have training elements

that allow them to materialize a gender perspective in order to avoid the reproduction of social

stereotypes and exclusion during the process.

Regarding the Comprehensive Plans for Agricultural and Rural Development (PIDAR), according

to the Rural Development Agency (ADR), 30% of the population benefiting from the PIDAR

corresponds to rural women in Chocó, Córdoba, Huila, Meta, Putumayo, and Tolima.

These

plans contain wide-ranging technical assistance goals for 67 municipalities. According to the

Ministry of Agriculture, between August 2018 and September 2019 the ADR co-financed 24

PIDAR, with an investment of $27,589 million pesos, benefiting a total of 2,259 people, of which

663 (29%) are women.

Intervention of the Panel of Ministers by rural women, moderated by the Vice Presidency of the Republic, with the

holders of the portfolios of Agriculture, Justice, Interior, Education, Labor, Health, Environment, Commerce, Indus-

try, and Tourism, regarding the launch of the Pact for the Equity of Rural Women, in the framework of the celebration

of the International Day of Rural Women, Plaza de los Artesanos, October 15, 2019.

Ministry of Agriculture, “Infographic I Institutional offer for rural women at the national level,” supplied to the Kroc

Institute by officials of the Rural Women Directorate in meeting, September 17, 2019.

Priority areas

National Plans for Comprehensive Rural Reform

In relation to the 16 National Plans for rural reform,

the Inspector General’s Office has highlighted several

difficulties. According to the report, justification is

missing for why these plans have not been adopted

after almost three years of implementation of

the Agreement.

To date, only the National Rural

Electrification Plan and the National Road Plan

for Regional Integration have been formulated.

In terms of the gender perspective, the National

Rural Electrification Plan includes an educational

program to recognize the role of women in the

“energy chain as an important actor in the

generation, distribution, use, and consumption

of energy.”

The National Road Plan for

Regional Integration does not include a

gender perspective, but it does include an

ethnic perspective by mentioning, within

the criteria for the prioritization of corridors,

the assignment of a “score based on the

proportion of indigenous, Afro-Colombian,

or Rrom population.”

Office of the Attorney General of the Delegated

Nation for the Monitoring of the Peace Agreement,

“First report to Congress on the status of Progress

of the Implementation of the 2016–2019 Peace

Agreement,” (Bogotá, 2019), 69, https://bit.

ly/2kkmiAZ.

Office of the Comptroller General for the

Monitoring of the Peace Agreement, “First

report to Congress on the status of Progress

of the Implementation of the Peace Agreement

2016–2019,” (Bogotá, 2019), 77, https://bit.

ly/2kkmiAZ.

Office of the Comptroller General for

the Monitoring of the Peace Agreement,

“First report to Congress on the status

of Progress in the Implementation of the

2016–2019 Peace Agreement,” (Bogotá,

2019), 72, https://bit.ly/2kkmiAZ.

Priority areas

According to the Office of the Comptroller General, the Presidency recognizes the approval

of these two plans, although the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development additionally

approved the National Plan for Construction and Improvement of Rural Social Housing via

Resolution 179 on June 23, 2017.

With respect to the Rural Social Interest Housing Program,

the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

identified a lag in the validation process for

the period between 2000 and 2017, for which it proposed the following actions that ultimately

benefited rural women: In the 2018 enrollment period, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural

Development had an estimated budget of $126,384 million pesos to fund grants for 4,261 rural

social interest homes. During the selection process, 12,024 families were selected, of which

6,625 (55%) had female heads of households. In the 2019 call, the Ministry of Agriculture

received a budget of $137,759 million pesos to develop 6,154 rural social interest homes,

of which 684 were for new housing and 5,470 for improvement. In the selection process,

10,498 families were chosen, of which 5,770 (again, 55%) reported having female heads of

household.”

National Plans are key to territorial transformation because they seek to provide goods and

services and strengthen farming, familial, and community economies in rural areas, and close

the gaps between the countryside and the city and combat inequality.

Within the Agreement,

these plans are a key element for reducing rural poverty over the next 15 years. This is particularly

important for rural women, as their poverty rate is relatively higher than men. In 2018, for every

100 men in poverty there were 118 women.

The implementation of the Accord is a valuable

opportunity to curb and reverse this trend.

Comptroller General of the Republic, “Third report to Congress on the execution of resources and compliance

with the goals of the peace component of the Multi-Annual Investment Plan,” (Bogotá, 2019), 62.

According to the Comptroller General of the Republic in the third report to Congress on the execution of resources

and compliance with the goals of the peace component of the Multi-annual Investment Plan (pp. 85), Rural Housing

Plan as stated in the agreement, the approval of the Presidency of the Republic and the National Planning Depart-

ment is still pending.

Ministry of Agriculture, “Infographic I Institutional offer for rural women at the National level,” provided to the Kroc

Institute by officials of the Rural Women Directorate in meeting, September 17, 2019.

Office of the Attorney General of the Delegated Nation for the Monitoring of the Peace Agreement, “First report to

Congress on the status of Progress of the Implementation of the 2016–2019 Peace Agreement,” (Bogotá, 2019),

69, https://bit.ly/2kkmiAZ.

UN Women and National Statistics Office (DANE), “Statistical Bulletin of Women’s Economic Empowerment in

Colombia,” (October 2019), https://www.dane.gov.co/files/investigaciones/genero/publicaciones/Boletin-Estadis-

tico-ONU-Mujeres-DANE.pdf.

Priority areas

2. Security and

protection guarantees

Throughout the period analyzed in this

report, institutional advances have

taken place in the implementation of

security and protection guarantees with

a gender focus. However, according to

the United Nations Special Rapporteur on

the Situation of Human Rights Defenders,

female leaders do not only face barriers

when exercising their leadership but “face

differentiated risks and disproportionate

effects that are exacerbated according to the

rights they defend, their sexual orientation and

gender identity, their ethnic origin, their territorial

location, and their belonging to a war-victim

population.”

This contradiction highlights that although the framework of the implementation of the Final

Agreement generated valuable opportunities for participation and leadership for women, new

risk scenarios have also appeared for female human rights defenders, as well as for women

communities and organizations. The leadership of women promoting the implementation of

the Final Agreement in the territories, particularly rural reform and the substitution processes

of crops used for illicit purposes, has been crucial for consolidating the processes in the

territories most affected by the armed conflict. These leaders are fundamental allies of the

Colombian State for the construction of peace at the territorial level, therefore it is necessary

to strengthen the security guarantees that protect them and their work.

Unlike the aggressions faced by male leaders, threats directed against female leaders

are often sexist in content, including allusions to women’s bodies and sexual abuses,

Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement (CODHES), in the Technical Secretariat of the International

Verification Component CINEP / PPP-CERAC, “Third Verification Report on the Implementation of the Gender-based

Approach in the Final Peace Accord in Colombia for International Verifiers Felipe González and José Mujica (AF

6.3.2),” (Bogotá, June 2019), 18, https://www.verificacion.cerac.org.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Tercer-In-

forme-de-Implementaci%C3%B3n-del-Enfoque-de-G%C3%A9nero-STCVI.pdf.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, “Visit to Colombia, November

20 to December 3, 2018. End of Mission Statement,” (December 3, 2018), 24.

“

“The

aggression

and threats to leaders

usually concentrate on

their bodies and sexualities,

which, in addition to generating

differentiated risks, constitute

cruel and violent acts that seek

to punish them for exercising

leadership in their

communities.”

Priority areas

characterizing the differentiated risks faced by women

in leadership.

It is important to highlight that women

leaders of ethnic communities face an additional risk

due to the concentration of violence in the collective

territories.

The application of effective gender-sensitive security

and protection guarantees, as well as differential

measures in the territories, are necessary conditions

for both the fulfillment of gender commitments and

comprehensive implementation of the Agreement.

Delays in these guarantees undermine the rights to

integrity and life of all leaders, especially women and

indigenous leaders, jeopardizing the implementation

of all other points of the Final Agreement and making

it very difficult for peacebuilding processes in the

territories to bring about lasting transformations.

Better coordination between institutional efforts

to provide security and protection guarantees,

including with the communities’ own systems,

would go a long way.

Analysis of the situation of women lea-

ders

Regarding advances in security guarantees

programs and legislation, the following are

worth highlighting: 1) the creation of the

Comprehensive Security System for the

Exercise of Policy (SISEP); 2) Program

for Individual and Collective Protection

of Leaders of Organizations and Social

Movements, and Human Rights

OXFAM, “Defenders of the Earth, the Territory,

and the Environment: Guardians of Life,” (Bo-

gotá, April 2019), 8, 14, https://www.oxfam.

org/es/defensoras-de-la-tierra-y-el-medio-am-

biente-voces-silenciadas.

Priority areas

Defenders;

3) Comprehensive Security and Protection Program for

Communities, Leaders, Representatives, and Activists of social justice

organizations, Popular Communities, Ethnic, Women’s and Gender

Organizations;

4) Rapid Response Prevention and Alert System

with a regulated differential territorial and gender perspective for the

prevention and emergency response to threats by armed groups

against leaders, communities, and social organizations;

and 5)

briefing paper for the construction of a Human Rights Action Plan

with gender- and ethnic-approach and guidelines for protection

and prevention efforts, cultural belonging, and the views of

women on gender and family.

In addition, the Government has activated the Comprehensive

Guarantees Program for Women Leaders and Human Rights

Defenders, with the objective of preventing and mitigating the

risk of violations of rights to life and integrity as well as of the

security of communities and organizations in the territories.

Ministry of the Interior, Decree 2252 of 2017, “Whereby Chapter 6,

Title 1, Part 4, Book 2 of Decree 1066 of 2015, Single Regulatory Decree

of the Administrative Sector of the Interior, on the work of governors is

added and mayors as agents of the President of the Republic in rela-

tion to the individual and collective protection of leaders of social and

communal organizations and movements, and human rights defenders

who are at risk,” December 29, 2019.

Ministry of the Interior, Decree 660 of 2018, “Whereby Chapter 7,

Title 1, Part 4, Book 2 of Decree 1066 of 2015, Sole Regulatory of

the Interior Administrative Sector, is added to create and regulate the

Comprehensive Security and Protection Program for Communities

and Organizations in the Territories; and other provisions are is-

sued,” April 17, 2018.

Ministry of the Interior, Decree 2124 of 2017, “Whereby the

prevention and alert system is regulated for the rapid reaction to

the presence, actions, and/or activities of organizations, criminal

acts, and behaviors that put at risk the rights of the Population

and the implementation of the Final Agreement to End the Armed

Conflict and Build a Stable and Lasting Peace,” December 18,

2017.

Office of the Presidential Councilor for Human Rights and

International Affairs, “Balance of the Preparation Phase for

the Construction of the Human Rights Action Plan,” (Bogotá,

2018), http://www.derechoshumanos.gov.co/Prensa/2018/

Documents/Documento%20Balance%20Fase%20de%20

Alistamiento.pdf.

Priority areas

The disarmament and demobilization of the FARC-EP prompted the rearrangement of other illegal

armed groups that had a presence in the region prior to demobilization, as well as emerging

armed groups in a struggle for control of the territory, population, and legal and illegal extractive

economies.

At this juncture, the Office of the Ombudsman has warned of the widespread

exercise of violence by the multiple armed actors in conflict with the people who exercise

leadership in defense of the territories, the rights of victims of the armed conflict, the restitution

of lands, and the implementation of the Accord.

In this context, the risks facing women leaders and human rights defenders, as well as that of their

male peers, have increased in Colombia. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Human Rights (OHCHR) in Colombia, from 2016 to September 2019, has documented around

320 murders of social justice activists and human rights defenders. Of this population, 36 were

women, 6 belonged to the LGBT community, and the rest were men.

The Ombudsman affirms

that between January 2016 and July 2019, a total of 983 social leaders received death threats,

of which half were women.

According to the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human

rights defenders, Michel Frost, being a leader in Colombia is a high-risk occupation.

In recent years, cases of extreme violence, torture, and sexual violence against women defenders

have increased.

According to the Ombudsman’s Office, between February 2018 and May 2019,

447 threats were registered (usually containing sexist content and sexual advances),

as well as

13 attacks and 20 homicides directed at women.

These attacks often include degrading insults

Ombudsman’s Office, “Early Warning Risk Report 010 of 2017,” (Bogotá, 2017).

Ombudsman’s Office, “Early Warning Risk Report 026,” (Bogotá, 2018).

Statement by Alberto Brunori, Representative for Colombia of the Office of the United Nations High Commis-

sioner for Rights. CIDH 173 Period of Sessions: Threats and murders of social leaders in Colombia September

2019, See in: https://www.hchr.org.co/index.php/informacion-publica/pronunciamientos/intervenciones-de-la-

direccion/442-ano-2019/9104-amenazas-ataques-y-asesinatos-contra-personas-defensoras-de-los-derechos-

humanos-en-colombia.

“How many social leaders are threatened in Colombia?” El Tiempo, July 04, 2019,

https://www.eltiempo.com/justicia/investigacion/numero-de-lideres-sociales-amenazados-en-colombia-actual-

mente-384030 (accessed September 27, 2019).

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, “Visit to Colombia, November 20

to December 3, 2018. End of Mission Statement,” (December 3, 2018), https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/

Defenders/StatementVisitColombia3Dec2018_SP.pdf.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, “Visit to Colombia, November

20 to December 3, 2018. End of Mission Statement,” (December 3, 2018), 24, https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/

Issues/Defenders/StatementVisitColombia3Dec2018_SP.pdf.

Office of the Ombudsman, “Defensorial Report: Gender-based Violence and Discrimination,” (Bogotá, 2019),

http://www.defensoria.gov.co/public/pdf/Informe%20Defensorial-Violencias-Basadas-Genero-Discriminacion.pdf.

Office of the Ombudsman, “‘We will continue to work with all women for the commitments they have with life;’

Ombudsman at the Forum for Life in Cali,” (July 3, 2019), https://bit.ly/2ncswUH.

Priority areas

of a sexual nature, reinforcing stereotypes and traditionally assigned gender roles that devalue

and belittle the role of women in social change.

Approximately 24% of aggressions against female leaders and defenders in 2018 were directed

towards women belonging to ethnic communities, which is an aggravating factor in the situation

of structural vulnerability and lack of protection for indigenous and Afro-Colombian women

in their territories.

According to CODHES, one of the main reasons for the victimization of

indigenous leaders and Afro-descendant peoples is their defense of collective territories and

their opposition to extractive economic interests or illegal drug and mining economies.

The violence against female leaders in Colombia has been directed at their bodies. As a strategy

of humiliation, intimidation, and violent denial of their agency as political subjects, armed groups

have perpetrated mutilations against them and inflicted severe trauma, such as slaughter and

impalement.

The intimidation and threats suffered by women leaders and defenders also

include and affect their families. Below are cases of three recognized leaders in the country who

have received threats and suffered attacks. Their stories reflect the serious risks women human

rights defenders face in Colombia:

• Francia Márquez, leader and environmental defender of the collective territories of northern

Cauca. In May 2019, she suffered an attack on a sidewalk in Santander de Quilichao when

she was meeting with more than a dozen female leaders and leaders of the Association of

Community Councils of Northern Cauca (ACONC).

• Mayerlis Angarita, recognized leader and defender of women’s rights and land restitution in

Montes de María. Mayerlis survived two attempts on her life in 2012 and 2015. In May 2019,

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, “Visit to Colombia, November

20 to December 3, 2018. End of Mission Statement,” (December 3, 2018), 25, https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/

Issues/Defenders/StatementVisitColombia3Dec2018_SP.pdf.

Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement (CODHES), “Social Leaders in Colombia: the Invisible Account

of Cruelty,” (Bogotá, March 2019).

Ibid.

Emilse Manyoma Mosquera was an Afro-Colombian leader of the Network of Communities Building Peace in the

Territories (CONPAZ), an organization located in Buenaventura, whose case was cited in the report of the special

rapporteur as evidence of this point, since she was missing for three days and was later found on January 17,

2017, with several traumas on her body and wounds from a knife and a firearm; Inter-Church Commission of Jus-

tice and Peace, “Emilsen Manyoma,” January 14, 2019, https://www.justiciaypazcolombia.com/emilsen-manyo-

ma/; United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, “Visit to Colombia, November

20 to December 3, 2018. End of Mission Statement,” (December 3, 2018), 24, https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/

Issues/Defenders/StatementVisitColombia3Dec2018_SP.pdf.

Germán Gómez Polo, “‘It could have been a massacre: Francia Márquez,” El Espectador, May 5, 2019, https://

www.elespectador.com/colombia2020/pais/pudo-haber-sido-una-masacre-francia-marquez-articulo-857944

(accessed September 27, 2019).

Priority areas

she was the victim of another attack when she moved from

Barranquilla to San Juan Nepomuceno in the armored truck

assigned to her by the National Protection Unit (UNP). A day

before the attack, Mayerlis published an opinion column in

which she denounced the serious risks for leaders and social

leaders in the country.

In July 2019, Mayerlis Angarita

received threats again.

• Paula Rosero, personera of Samaniego in the department

of Nariño. She was killed on May 20, 2019, by strangers

on a motorcycle who fired at her repeatedly. As a public

official, she had been pressured and threatened after she

publicly acknowledged alleged cases of corruption in that

municipality.

In the midst of this violence, it is worth highlighting the

important investigative work in these cases involving social

leaders, especially the joint work between the Elite Corps

of the National Police and the Special Investigation Unit

(UEI) of the Attorney General’s Office. Investigations have

been carried out based on specific methodologies for

violence against leaders, human rights defenders, and

ex-combatants. To date, investigations in process have

been recorded in 58% of homicide cases against this

population.

Mayerly Angarita Robles, “Soul, body, and heart: Mayerly Angar-

ita,” Semana, May 18, 2019, https://www.semana.com/opinion/

articulo/alma-cuerpo-y-corazon-por-mayerli-angarita/615997.

“#TodosConMayerlis: solidarity with the leader who received

new threats,” Semana, July 7, 2019, https://www.semana.com/

nacion/articulo/mayerlis-garcia-lideresa-de-montes-de-ma-

ria-denuncia-nuevas-amenazas/622969.

“They kill the personera of Samaniego, Nariño,” El Tiempo,

May 20, 2019, https://www.eltiempo.com/justicia/investiga-

cion/asesinan-a-la-personera-de-samaniego-narino-364548.

“Attorney General’s Office advances in the investigation

and prosecution of homicides against social leaders,” Attor-

ney General’s Office, August 20, 2019, https://www.fiscalia.

gov.co/colombia/noticias/fiscalia-avanza-en-la-investiga-

cion-y-judicializacion-de-homicidios-contra-lideres-socia-

les/.

Priority areas

Among these methodologies, the victim’s profile and

analysis of the aggression’s environmental impact are

highlighted. Coordination between elite investigators

and women’s organizations in the territories, such as

sharing databases in order to link material perpetrators to

organized criminal structures, has allowed for progress

in dismantling illicit groups. It is crucial to provide both

entities with adequate human and financial resources,

so that they can effectively identify patterns of the

murders and their perpetrators, reducing impunity

and contributing to the dismantling of the criminal

organizations responsible for these acts.

For the elections of October 2019, the Electoral

Observation Mission (MOE) warned about a possible

increase in cases of intimidation and violence against

social leaders.

Indeed, by June 2019, the incidents

and attacks reported against this population had

increased by approximately 50% compared to the

previous regional elections held in 2015.

This

increased violence reflects the current risks faced

by these people at the local and regional levels.

The October 2019, the first local elections after

the signing of the Peace Agreement occurred.

Implementation of security and protection

guarantees are crucial for encouraging an

agenda focused on gender equality and for

improving the participation of women in public

Electoral Observation Mission (MOE), “Partial

Report Elections of Local Authorities 2019,” (Bo-

gotá, 2019), https://moe.org.co/wp-content/up-

loads/2019/07/20190907_Informe-MOE_Lanzamien-

to-Plan-Agora.pdf.

United Nations (UN), “Report of the Secretary Gen-

eral on the Mission of Verification of the United Na-

tions in Colombia,” (S / 2019/530, June 27, 2019),

Office of the Ombudsman, “Early Warning No.

035-19 Electoral Risk 2019,” (Bogotá, 2019).

Priority areas

life. On September 1, 2019, the female candidate for mayor of Suárez (Cauca) was murdered,

along with five others. In this same municipality, the regional ombudsman issued an early

warning for all mayoral candidates of Suárez.

The equal exercise of civil and political rights by

women and men in Colombia must receive due recognition and align with the political will to

fulfill these commitments for improving democracy.

Commitments and measures for security and protection guarantees

• Community and collective protection mechanisms

It is necessary to emphasize the collective and preventive dimension of security and protection

guarantees strategies with a gender-, ethnicity-, age-, and territorial-based approach. These

dimensions include proposals for strengthening indigenous, cimarronas,

and campesino

guards and supporting women’s organizational and leadership initiatives in rural areas. In these

cases, cultural and ancestral elements (in the case of ethnic peoples) must be incorporated to

the protection of women leaders, their communities, and territories.

Within the framework of collective security measures established via the Risk Assessment

and Recommendation Committee (Collective CERREM) of the Ministry of the Interior, risk

assessments and measures were taken for five groups of women from 2018 to June 2019.

Among them was the Liga de Mujeres Desplazadas (LMD), an organization for displaced

women from the city of Cartagena, and the Corporación Para El Desarrollo Integral De La Mujer

Monteriana (Cordesimm - Narrar Para Vivir), a women’s organization from Montes de María.

In PDET municipalities between July 2018 and June 2019, there was a 1.5% increase in the

homicide rate compared to the same period 2017–2018.

This increase was particularly

“Karina García, candidate of the mayoralty of Suárez, Cauca is murdered,” El Espectador, September 02, 2019,

https://www.elespectador.com/noticias/judicial/asesinan-karina-garcia-candidata-de-la-alcaldia-de-suarez-cau-

ca-articulo-879038.

The Cimarronas Guard originates from the community organization in Palenque, Colombia. The Guard exists in

different departments of Colombia in Afro-Colombian communities to protect and ensure peaceful coexistence.

Campesino refers to subsistence farmers in Colombia.

OXFAM, “Defenders of the Earth, the Territory, and the Environment: Guardians of Life,” (Bogotá, April 2019), 2,

https://www.oxfam.org/es/defensoras-de-la-tierra-y-el-medio-ambiente-voces-silenciadas.

Office of the Presidential Councilor for Human Rights and International Affairs, “Homicide Report Against Social

Leaders and Human Rights Defenders 2010–2019,” (Bogotá, 2019), http://www.derechoshumanos.gov.co/Pren-

sa/2019/Documents/INFORME%20LDDH%20ACTUALIZADO%2017%20DE%20JULIO_V2.pdf.

National Protection Unit, “Report on the Accountability of Peacebuilding,” (Bogotá, 2019), 21, https://www.unp.

gov.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/informe-de-rendicion-de-cuentas-paz.pdf.

Congress of the Republic of Colombia, “How is the peace agreement, one year after the Duke government? Chal-

lenges and recommendations. Report 01: Multiparty monitoring of the implementation of the Peace Agreement,”

(Bogotá, 2019).

Priority areas

concentrated in Catatumbo, Bajo Cauca, and Northeast Antioqueño. It highlights the need to

review community protection mechanisms within the implementation of the PDET. Additionally,

UNP schemes and measures must be sensitive to the contextual, cultural, collective, and

territorial needs of rural female human rights defenders and women at risk, both of which

require effective protections in light of the contexts in which they work.

• National Commission on Security Guarantees (CNGS)

An important achievement in 2019 has been the inclusion of two women’s organizations—the

Women’s Summit and GPAZ—as permanent guests in the National Commission on Security

Guarantees (CNGS), as well as the development of three gender commissions.

Additionally,

on June 11, 2019, an ethnic sub-commission was launched. As of the publication date of

this report, the CNGS met twice in 2019: January 30 and August 12, 2019.

Additionally, in

November 2018, the Government issued Decree 2137 creating the Intersectoral Commission

for the development of the Timely Action Plan (PAO). Within the framework of this policy,

different protective profiles of protection are identified, including female group leaders and

LGBT community leaders.

This public policy initiative has become the backbone of the

protection and security guarantees policy for leaders and defenders of Human Rights.

According to the Commissioner for Peace, Miguel Ceballos, within this context the CNGS

takes on the role of “consultation and advisory body.”

Office of the Attorney General of the Delegated Nation for the Monitoring of the Peace Agreement, “First report to

Congress on the status of Progress of the Implementation of the 2016–2019 Peace Agreement,” (Bogotá, 2019),

161, https://bit.ly/2kkmiAZ; Nancy Gutiérrez (Minister of the Interior), Miguel Ceballos, (High Commissioner for

Peace), “Statement at the end of the meeting of the National Commission on Security Guarantees,” Ministry of the

Interior, January 30, 2019, https://www.mininterior.gov.co/sala-de-prensa/noticias/declaracion-al-termino-de-la-

reunion-de-la-comision-nal-de-garantias-de-seguridad-30ene2019.

“The National Security Guarantees Commission met successfully, with the participation of representatives of

the Government and civil society,” Presidency of the Republic, January 30, 2019, https://id.presidencia.gov.co/

Paginas/prensa/2019/190130-Con-exito-sesiono-Comision-Nacional-Garantias-Seguridad-participacion-repre-

sentantes-Gobierno-sociedad-civil.aspx; “ Eight organized common crime groups linked to affectations to social

leaders and ex-combatants Farc were dismantled;” High Commissioner for Peace,” Office of the High Commis-

sioner for Peace, August 12, 2019, http://www.altocomisionadoparalapaz.gov.co/Prensa/Paginas/2019/Ocho-gru-

pos-de-delincuencia-comun-organizada-vinculados-con-afectaciones-a-lideres-sociales-y-excombatientes.aspx.

Nancy Gutiérrez (Minister of the Interior), Miguel Ceballos (High Commissioner for Peace), “Statement at the end

of the meeting of the National Security Guarantees Commission,” (January 30, 2019).

Miguel Ceballos, (High Commissioner for Peace), “Statement at the end of the meeting of the National Security Guar-

antees Commission,” (January 30, 2019), https://id.presidencia.gov.co/Paginas/prensa/2019/190130-Declara-

cion-Alto-Comisionado-Paz-Ministra-Interior-Comision-Nacional-Garantias-Seguridad.aspx.

Priority areas

Good practices: guarantee working groups

for women leaders, defenders, and their

organizations in Montes de María and

Putumayo

There was productive coordination between women’s

organizations, the Public Ministry and international

cooperation for the installation and development of two

working groups for women leaders, defenders, and their

organizations in the Montes de María and Putumayo. The

initiatives promote interlocution between women and

local and national level institutions to design measures of

prevention, protection, and guarantees of non-repetition

that are consistent with the contextual and cultural

needs of female leaders. These experiences constitute

pilot projects that may offer lessons for the territorial

expansion process of the Guarantees Program for

Women Leaders and Human Rights Defenders.

Box

• Measures of protection and individual prevention of women leaders

Another example worth highlighting is the development of Mesa por la Vida, in the city of Cali

(Valle del Cauca) in July 2019. This working group was a key stage of joint work between

the Ombudsman’s Office, National Office of the Inspector General, and the leaders, human

rights defenders, and their organizations to follow up on the Guarantees Program for Women

Leaders and Human Rights Defenders.

Additionally, a gender perspective was incorporated

into the Articulation Plan for Security Actions for the population targeted by the PNIS, as well

as in the actions and measures already included in the Comprehensive Guarantee Program

for Leading Women and Human Rights Defenders.

Ombudsman, “‘We will continue to work with all women for the commitments they have with life:’ Ombudsman

at the working group for Life in Cali,” (July 3, 2019), https://bit.ly/2ncswUH.

Office of the Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and Consolidation, “Management report on the implementa-

tion of the Final Peace Agreement, from August 7, 2018 to July 31, 2019,” (Bogotá, 2019).

Priority areas

• Early Warning System (SAT)

One of the main accomplishments in the inclusion of a gender perspective for

the prevention of violence in the Final Agreement has been the strengthening

of the Early Warning System (SAT) of the Ombudsman’s Office.

SAT

has identified various risk scenarios faced by human rights leaders and

fundamental rights violations in Colombia

.95

It has warned about forced

displacement (in 113 public announcements), the differentiated impact of

armed actor recruitment on women, girls, children, and adolescents, and

the vulnerability and risk of sexual violence that women and the LGBT

community face in territories abandoned by the former FARC-EP.

The challenge for enhancing prevention measures and guaranteeing

security and protections for women lies in ensuring coordination between

the different competent entities: SAT, the Ministry of Interior, the UNP,

and other relevant institutions and stakeholders. It is also important to

clarify for the institutions involved what a gender perspective means

in different scenarios in order to expedite the implementation of

measures.

Security System for Political Participation (SISEP)

There has been initial deployment in the territories of the Elite Police

Corps to support the investigation and dismantling of illegal armed

groups, and of the Police Unit for Peacebuilding (UNIPEP) in the

Territorial Spaces for Training and Reincorporation (ETCR). Likewise,

SISEP pilot programs have been executed to incorporate issues of

women and the LGBT population. The challenge continues to be

the mitigation and containment of violence, armed groups, and

illegal economies that affect women and LGBT communities in

different ways.

Ombudsman Delegate, (Intervention, Special Forum of Women meeting, Bo-

gotá, June 6, 2019).

Germán Gómez Polo, “It could have been a massacre: Francia Márquez,”

El Espectador, May 5, 2019, https://www.elespectador.com/colombia2020/

pais/pudo-haber-sido-una-masacre-francia-marquez-articulo-857944.

United Nations (UN), “Report of the Secretary General on the Mission of

United Nations Verification in Colombia,” (S / 2019/530, June 27, 2019), 12.

Priority areas

Measures for the security and protection of ex-combatants and members of the FARC

political party require special attention from the authorities. As the United Nations Verification

Mission warns, since the signing of the Final Agreement, 147 ex-combatants have been

killed, 12 forcefully disappeared, and 21 targeted in murder attempts.

The inclusion of

women in the mixed security body is an important step that must be reinforced.

Likewise,

the implementation of comprehensive security guarantees for the ex-combatant population

should be bolstered and advanced, as should efforts to dismantle or impede the functioning

of armed groups and criminal structures in the territories where these groups constitute a

serious threat against citizens.

• Challenges in investigation and justice: Special Investigation Unit of the Office of the

Inspector General

Since the Special Investigation Unit (UEI) of the National Office of the Inspector General

has been in operation, there have been advances in the investigation and clarification of

hostilities, attacks, and murders of women human rights defenders.

However, given the

magnitude of these phenomena, it has not been enough. According to the Elite Police Corps,

a total of 1,147 people received threats and 265 have been killed (232 men and 33 women).

The Elite Corps of Police has developed an investigative approach centered on the

characterization of the victim, identification of the type of leadership, and impact of these

actions on the community. In addition, the government has engaged the Superior Council of

the Judiciary in the creation of a body of judges for expediting trials and convictions against

those who have infringed upon social leaders and human rights defenders, with the aim of

contributing to the truth and non-recurrence.

United Nations Organization (UN), “Report of the Secretary General on the Verification Mission of the United

Nations in Colombia,” (S / 2019/780, October 1st, 2019), 9.

United Nations (UN), “Report of the Secretary General on the Mission of Verification of the United Nations in

Colombia,” (S / 2018/279, April 2, 2019), https://colombia.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/n1808244.pdf.

Attorney General’s Office, “Attorney General’s Office advances in the investigation and prosecution of homicides

against social leaders,” (August 20, 2019), https://www.fiscalia.gov.co/colombia/noticias/fiscalia-avanza-en-la-in-

vestigacion-y-judicializacion-de-homicidios-contra-lideres-sociales/.

Priority areas

3. Reincorporation of former FARC-EP combatants

The social, economic, and political reincorporation of ex-combatants is a priority issue for

the construction of a sustainable peace in the territories because it contributes to community

reconciliation, building trust among ex-combatants, and preventing violence associated with

armed groups and political dissidents. Although measures with a focus on gender have been

included in reincorporation programs, challenges for reincorporation remain with access

to specialized health services, educational opportunities, and participation in other social

and economic initiatives. These challenges are frequently related to the care tasks that ex-

combatants assume in their homes.

During the period covered by this report, significant progress was made in terms of

including women’s rights in the reincorporation processes and initiatives. The rights of ex-

combatants were included in the Document CONPES 3931 of 2018, which also contains 18

measures focused on gender. These measures are designed to improve planning processes,

strengthen the social fabric, coexistence, and reconciliation, increase access to programs

for economic stabilization and basic rights, and provide a psychosocial support program

with gender, territorial, and ethnicity based approaches that meet the specific needs of

FARC-EP ex-combatants and their families. These concerns were presented by the Agency

for Reincorporation and Normalization (ARN) during the third session of the High Level

Government Gender Body, in August 2019.

100

Likewise, the continuation of the Gender

Roundtable of the National Reincorporation Council (CNR) provides a space for building

trust, in line with the Office of the Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and Consolidation

and its promise to fulfill commitments as agreed.

According to the latest ARN figures published in the “General Overview, Education,

Health, Habitat, Income Generation: National Registry of Reincorporation,” of the 10,708

ex-combatants registered, 25% are women and 17.6% identify with an ethnic group.

101

the time of the study, 264 women were pregnant and 83.3% had received prenatal care.

However, concerns remain about a comprehensive gestation route for pregnant women, the

care options for them, and access to special attention in high-risk cases.

Women in the reincorporation process have played a key role in the reconstruction of the

social fabric. In the transformation away from violent masculinities, men can also assume

100

Office of the Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and Consolidation, “96% of the work plans of the 51 PMI

gender indicators reported progress in their implementation,” (August 20, 2019), http://portalparalapaz.gov.

co/publicaciones/1171/el-96-de-los-planes-de-trabajo-de-los-51-indicadores-de-genero-del-pmi-reportaron-

avance-de-su-implementacion/.

101

Reincorporation and Normalization Agency, “General Overview, Education, Health, Habit Generation of Income:

National Registry of Reincorporation,” (Presentation, Ibagué, March 2019).

Priority areas

a responsibility in strengthening the social fabric. Efforts to develop social, educational, and

economic initiatives, and to strengthen the reincorporation of ex-combatant women into

community organizations, should be recognized and encouraged.

102

To date, there are valuable examples of women’s participation in programs such as

Arando la Educación, which by the end of April 2019 had enrolled 1,420 ex-combatants

with close to half (45%) being women. About 1,765 community members, of which 67%

were women, also benefited from this program.

103

Pre-contractual processes are underway

in 72 municipalities for the implementation of community projects for reconciliation, the

strengthening of protective environments for children and young people, and the promotion

of women’s leadership. These projects do not only involve ex-combatants of the FARC-

EP, but also members of other communities and local institutions.

104

However, according

to the report of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, despite these efforts,

questions remain regarding the quality and access to these programs for pregnant women,

children, adolescents, and people with disabilities in the ETCRs.

105

A new geography of reincorporation has emerged with the transition of the ETCR

106

and

dynamics of the Group Reincorporation Areas (ARG) and settlements in urban areas. Currently,

there is an opportunity for local authorities to be empowered and institutional presence to

be consolidated in these areas, as well as to guarantee access to health, education, and

prevention of gender-based violence programs for ex-combatant women and surrounding

communities. In this context, it is urgent to make the necessary adjustments to meet the

needs of ex-combatants who are outside the ETCRs and that constitute more than 70% of the

population in the process of reincorporation. Data available through September 2019 showed

102

UN Women, “Government of Colombia, UN and FARC inaugurate comprehensive reinstatement program,” (April

17, 2019), http://colombia.unwomen.org/es/noticias-y-eventos/articulos/2019/04/anunciopbfinteragencial.

103

United Nations (UN), “Report of the Secretary General on the Mission of United Nations Verification in Colom-

bia,” (S / 2019/530, June 27, 2019), 7.

104

Office of the Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and Consolidation, “Management report on the implementa-

tion of the Final Peace Agreement, from August 7, 2018 to July 31, 2019,” (Bogotá, 2019), 39.

105

United Nations Organization (UN), “Report of the Secretary General on the Mission of Verification of the United

Nations in Colombia,” (S / 2019/530, June 27, 2019), 8.

106

According to Decree 1274 of 2017, the Territorial Spaces for Training and Reincorporation (ETCR) would lose

their legal status on August 16, 2019. In May 2019 the National Government stated that 11 were likely to be

transferred, its continuity should be evaluated According to five criteria: 1. Land viability; 2. Extended security of

the territory; 3. Provision of goods and services; 4. The development of livelihood projects; 5. The capacity of

municipalities to integrate these ETCRs. To date, the RNA has visited the 11 ETCRs to evaluate these five criteria

and determine their continuity. However, there is still no official document on which ones continue and which ones

are transferred. To the ETCRs that are determined to continue, an adaptation plan will be implemented and will be

included within the municipal POT; Officials (Agency for Reincorporation and Standardization) interview conducted

by the Kroc Institute team, Bogotá, June 25, 2019.

Priority areas

that in these areas there were more than 200 accredited women, 11 of whom were pregnant;

over 500 minors were also registered. These and other elements constitute an important

challenge in terms of attention for women and girls.

107

Social reincorporation

Reexamining the construction of traditional gender roles is relevant when supporting

ex-combatant men and women in the reincorporation process. Generally, the design

of reincorporation programs underestimates the role of gender in the experiences of ex-

combatants.

108

To improve the participation and recognition of women’s rights in this process,

a cultural transformation is necessary, which requires difficult identity reconstruction

procedures that must confront multiple forms of stigmatization towards women, the

transgression of traditional gender roles, and their legal status as ex-combatants.

109

In this sense, it is essential to continue implementing actions for gender equality and new

masculinities within the FARC political party. The FARC party has developed a strategy of

self-care and welfare, including introducing new masculinities, while responsibly monitoring

these strategies. Progress has also been made with the Women’s, Gender, and Diversity

Commission within the party.

110

With the support of the Norwegian Embassy and UN Women,

this Commission has introduced a project to strengthen the participation of ex-combatant

women across 19 ETCRs.

The “National Meeting for Women in the Process of Reincorporation: Farianas and Diversity”

was held from May 30 to June 2, 2019.

111

There were 400 women in the process of

reincorporation who were responsible for gender issues affecting the ETCRs in different

parts of the country. Together they built a document containing the needs and strategic

vision of women in the process of reincorporation. This meeting highlighted the need to

strengthen health care in the ETCRs and beneficiary municipalities, as well as the importance

of continued analysis of technical and higher level learning opportunities for women.

107

National Agency for Reincorporation, “Rural Areas for Reincorporation,” September 19, 2019.

108

One Earth Future, “The Absent Peace: Gender Considerations in Reincorporation Efforts in Colombia,” (August

2019), https://oefresearch.org/sites/default/files/documents/publications/The_Missing_Peace_DIG_SP.pdf.

109

One Earth Future, “The Absent Peace: Gender Considerations in Reincorporation Efforts in Colombia,” (Au-

gust 2019), 45–53, https://oefresearch.org/sites/default/files/documents/publications/The_Missing_Peace_DIG_

SP.pdf.

110

United Nations (UN), “Report of the Secretary General on the Verification Mission of the United Nations in Co-

lombia,” (S / 2019/530, June 27, 2019), 13.

111

Fariana Women and Diversities, “Conclusions of the National Meeting of Women and Farias Diversities for the

Transformation of Colombia,” (Bogotá, May 2019).

Priority areas

Ex-combatant women have affirmed that in some of the ETCRs there

are cases of gender-based violence that are not receiving adequate

attention or visibility, due to the lack of care routes and institutional

capacity at the local level. They have provided some cases of

psychological violence by partners and the disproportionate

distribution of unpaid care work among men and women—with

women seen as responsible for the majority of such activities,

which poses barriers preventing them from achieving economic

autonomy and participating politically.

112

In terms of childcare, the Colombian Family Welfare Institute

(ICBF) has made an effort to offer childcare services in the

ETCRs of Tolima, Meta, Arauca, Cauca, La Guajira, Guaviare,

and Putumayo. However, education and pediatric or specialized

health services are needed for more than 800 children living

in these spaces.

113

International cooperation and the United

Nations System in coordination with the national Government

and the FARC are making efforts to promote these spaces. For

example, in an agreement signed in September 2019 between

the Swedish Embassy and the International Organization for

Migration (IOM), three comprehensive community care spaces

are to be designed and implemented, benefitting 90 children

and adolescents, sons and daughters of ex-combatants, and

communities in the municipalities and ETCRs prioritized by

the project.

114

112

Corporación Vínculos, “Participatory characterization of the situation

and territorial vision of women and young people from the priority villages

in Meta and Guaviare in the framework of the project ‘Creation of protective

environments for the prevention of gender-based violence and promotion

of participation of women and young people in the prioritized areas of

Meta and Guaviare in scenarios of building trust and peace,” (2019).

113

United Nations (UN), “Report of the Secretary General on the Verifi-

cation Mission of Verification of the United Nations in Colombia,” (S /

2019/530, June 27, 2019), 14.

114

In five Territorial Spaces for Training and Reincorporation (ETCR):

La Paz (Cesar), La Montañita (Caquetá), Mesetas (Meta), La Carmelita

(Putumayo), Caño Indio (Norte de Santander), and 3 New Points of

Regrouping (NPR): Popayán (Cauca), Mutatá (Antioquia), Pueblo Rico

(Risaralda); Embassy of Sweden, “Implementation of gender-based vi-

olence prevention plans and promotion of the autonomy of FARC wom-

en in transitioning to civilian life (Phase II),” (Bogotá, 2019).

Priority areas

This agreement between Sweden and IOM seeks to contribute to the social, political, and

economic empowerment of ex-combatant women in the process of reincorporation. It

includes the design and implementation of gender-based violence prevention plans with a

community focus as well as training in reforming masculinities, continuing the strategy of

“Trainers and promoters for the prevention of gender-based violence” implemented in 2017-

2018 (from which 137 women and 103 ex-combatant men graduated).

115

For its part, UN

Women in coordination with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UNDP, the ARN,

and FARC, is accompanying the creation of care spaces in five ETCRs. This project has been

carried out with resources from the UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF).

A priority issue that has received little attention is the urgency of moving forward in cases

of family reunification and of ex-combatants who are struggling to regain legal guardianship

of their children. Family reunification is included in CONPES 3931

116

and it is of great

relevance, in light of the desire of ex-combatants to resume relations with their children and

relatives. There is a proposal for the Technical Family Reunification Board of the CNR, but the

institutional competencies for the proposal remain unclear.

Economic reincorporation

In terms of livelihood projects, the Office of the Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and

Consolidation indicates that as of September 2019, a total of 35 collective projects, 350

individual projects, 200 self-managed projects, and 37 projects developed with the support

of international cooperation were approved.

117

However, there are important challenges

related to the participation of ex-combatants in these initiatives, as well as with regard to

their access to education and health services.

118

In the 2019 survey conducted by the ARN, a total of 1,261 of ex-combatants responded

that the main reason they are not studying is because they are occupied with family care.

119

115

Embassy of Sweden, “Implementation of gender-based violence prevention plans and promotion of the autono-

my of FARC women in transit to civilian life (Phase II),” (Bogotá, 2019).

116

United Nations (UN), “Report of the Secretary General on the Mission of United Nations verification in Colom-

bia,” (S / 2019/530, June 27, 2019),14.

117

Office of the Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and Consolidation, (@PosconflictoCO), “#AvanzaLaPaz-

ConLegalidad The countries of the world set their eyes on #Colombia for implementation results. Ex-combatants

receive support from @IvanDuque and National Reincorporation Council approves new collective productive proj-

ects,” Tweet, September 21, 2019.

https://bit.ly/2Mb7L4f

118

Ex-combatants (FARC-EP Apartadó) interview conducted by the Kroc Institute team, May 2019.

119

Reincorporation and Normalization Agency, “General Overview, Education, Health, Habit Generation of Income:

National Registry of Reincorporation,” (Presentation, Ibagué, March 2019).

Priority areas

A total of 17% of women and 6% of men have stopped participating in livelihood projects

because they are responsible for caring for dependents.

120

The economic empowerment of

ex-combatant women is not limited to generating a source of income. It is also conditioned

by the possibilities of acknowledging, reducing, and redistributing the daily care work

performed. It is necessary to insist on strategies for the inclusion of the care economy as

a relevant axis in the development and promotion of women’s participation. Of those in the

process of reincorporation, a total of 26% of women work exclusively on care activities, as

opposed to just 3% of men.

121

It is necessary to support the initiatives of care spaces for

children in all the ETCRs, especially in those where there are a greater number of children

under five years of age.

Many of the initiatives carried out with a gender perspective are promoted by international

cooperation. Among them is the livelihood project of a fruit and vegetable processing plant

in which 70 ex-combatants based in Dabeiba and Mutatá (Antioquia) will work. Women

involved received financial support from UN Women in the framework of the alliance with

the Norwegian Embassy and the implementation of the National Association of Campesino

Reserve Zones (ANZORC).

122

This initiative innovates with the creation of a Solidarity Center

for Care Services that will provide services for the collective purchase of groceries and

supplies alongside the payment of services and errands, as well as collective shifts covering

childcare and household chores starting in 2020.

123

Another example of support for economic reincorporation is the project “Strengthening the

Solidarity Economy Organizations for Development of Economic and Productive Initiatives

in ETCRs,” being implemented by an alliance among the World Corporation of Women

Colombia, the CORPAZ organization, and the European Peace Fund. The project is carried out

in the ETCRs of Colinas (Guaviare), La Fila (Tolima), Mariana Páez (Meta), and two ARGs in

La Macarena.

124

Similarly, UN Women has coordinated with the gender liaisons of the ETCRs

to guarantee the incorporation of the gender perspective in the livelihood projects aimed at

economic and social reincorporation of the former members of the FARC-EP that live in four

ETCRs in Cauca, nearby areas, and the ARG.

120

Reincorporation and Normalization Agency, “Presentation during the South-South Technical Cooperation Tour in

Ibagué,” (presentation, South-South Technical Cooperation Tour in Ibagué, September 19, 2019).

121

Ibid.

122

Ex-combatants (FARC-EP Apartadó) interview conducted by the Kroc Institute team, May 2019.

123

Ricardo Monsalve Gaviria, “The first productive project made by women ex-combatants of Farc opens,” El

Colombiano, August 15, 2019, https://www.elcolombiano.com/colombia/paz-y-derechos-humanos/mujeres-ex-

combatientes-de-farc-crean-proyecto-productuvo-JG11422902.

124

Office of the Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and Consolidation, “Management report on the implementa-

tion of the Final Peace Agreement, August 7, 2018 to July 31, 2019,” (Bogotá, 2019).

Priority areas

Best practices: a focus on gender in

livelihood projects

In terms of knowledge management, the production of

pedagogical material, “Tools for the incorporation of the

gender perspective in livelihood projects related to

reincorporation processes,” stands out. This material is the

result of coordination among the Gender Board of the

National Reincorporation Council, UN Women, the United

Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United

Nations Verification Mission in Colombia. The document

“Minimum standards of care economy in contexts of

economic reincorporation,” prepared by UN Women, is

another contribution that promotes the participation of

women in reincorporation programs for ex-combatants in

civil life and addresses the barriers that prevent their

participation on equal terms in order to guarantee their

effective reincorporation.

The Verification Mission has highlighted the importance of

taking advantage of these tools and training modules for

livelihood projects in order to foster a reincorporation

approach that takes into account a gender perspective and

the necessary resources. It is also worth highlighting the

pedagogical material, “Gender and Reincorporation. María

Cano School. Training and Political Advocacy for the

Reincorporation of FARC Women,” from the Kolectiva

Feminista of Thought and Political Action, with the support

of UN Women and the Norwegian Embassy.

125

Box

125

Gender Roundtable of the National Reincorporation Council UN Women, United Nations Development Program

(UNDP), United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, “Tool for the inclusion of the gender approach in economic

reincorporation processes” (Bogotá, 2019), https://colombia.unwomen.org/es/biblioteca/publicaciones/2019/08/

herramientas-incorporacion#view.

Priority areas

Political Reincorporation

The political reincorporation and creation of the FARC party has included the creation of 10

Congressional seats for a period of eight years. Of the 10 seats, two have been occupied

by women in the party, Victoria Sandino and Sandra Ramírez. For the regional elections of

October 27, 2019, the FARC party presented 301 candidates in 23 departments of which 117

were women (39%) and 184 were men (61%). Of the 301, 98 were ex-combatants (33%),

63 were men and 35 were women.

126

Efforts to strengthen the construction of citizenship of

ex-combatants are fundamental. Pedagogy on participation in local political environments,

the construction of citizen agendas, and the interlocution of these agendas with those of the

women’s movement has been increasingly important.

Security and non-stigmatization is necessary to strengthen the participation of ex-combatant

women. Killings of former guerrillas, mostly men, in the process of reincorporation makes

it more difficult to visualize specific risks for women. In general, ex-combatants express

distrust of state institutions and their capacity to effectively provide attention, sanctions,

protection, or judicial action. The high risks of forced recruitment of young people and

women by armed groups are also evident.

127

Some ex-combatant women constantly face

risky situations and threats, often perceiving that the measures of material and immaterial

protection being implemented are neither effective nor do they have the required differential

(ethnic, territorial, or gender based) approach for effective security. Some ex-combatant

women have felt stigmatized in social or institutional settings because they belonged to an

armed group, which breaks gender stereotypes in a patriarchal society such as Colombia.

This makes them more vulnerable and has forced many to maintain a low profile in various

activities related to their reincorporation.

128

It is necessary to establish a transversal approach to gender in each of the reincorporation

protocols, plans, formats, and matrices used by the Specialized Security and Protection Sub-

directorate (SESP) to guarantee the security of women, along with the rest of Colombia’s

diverse population. Likewise, emphasis should be placed not only on urgency, but also

on prevention measures and the need for psychosocial support for women and diverse

populations in reincorporation processes, including the Security and Protection body.

129

126

Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Común, “List of candidates registered at national level party Revolutionary

Alternative Force of the Common,” (Bogotá, September 2019).

127

National Protection Unit, “Consulting report to support the Specialized Security and Protection Sub-directorate

(SESP) of the National Protection Unit, with the support of UN Women, from February to August 2019,” (Bogotá,

2019).

128

Ibid.

129

Ibid.

Priority areas

4 .Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparations,

and Non-Recurrence (SIVJRNR) y and the rights of victims

The operation of the different components of the Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice,

Reparations, and Non-Recurrence (SIVJRNR) is essential for the comprehensive implementation

of the Final Accord, the full guarantee of the rights of women and LGBT populations, and the

success of peacebuilding work in Colombia. A gender perspective has been effectively included

in the design and architecture of the entities that make up the SIVJRNR, especially with regard to

the representation and participation of women. This is evidenced in the cross-sectional teams

of each entity, as well as in the representation of the magistrates in the Special Jurisdiction for

Peace (JEP) and commissioners of the Truth, Coexistence, and Non-Recurrence Commission

(CEV).

130

However, greater efforts must be made to ensure the comprehensiveness of the System,

which includes advancing the reparations processes required by the Policy for Assistance and

Comprehensive Reparations to Victims.

The Final Agreement includes innovative mechanisms of accountability for serious crimes that

occurred during the armed conflict, as well as in the administration of restorative justice, that

allow for the protection and satisfaction of the rights of victims in a context of complex transition

from war to peace. The recognition, compensation and restoration of the dignity of victims

constitutes the essence of the Accord, and for this reason these concepts are at the center of

its implementation.

Special Jurisdiction for Peace

The JEP has made significant progress in promoting a transversal gender perspective through

its structure, as well as in its jurisdictional powers. Regarding the advances in the architecture

of the entity, the following stand out: 1) the important development and role of the Gender

Commission as an advisory body and consultant on issues related to the implementation of a

gender perspective or to cases of violence against women, girls, and LGBT population; 2) the

equal formation of the entity in all its dependencies and decision-making spaces, as well as the

importance of women leaders in influential positions; and 3) the important role of the Information

Analysis Group (GRAI) in developing differential ethnic- and gender-based approaches.

130

Barometer Initiative, Matrix of Peace Agreements, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, UN Women,

FDIM, Sweden. “Special Report of the Kroc Institute and the International Component, UN Women, FDIM and

Sweden, on the monitoring of the gender-based approach in the implementation of the Final Accord,” (Report 1,

Bogotá, Colombia, 2018), 29, https://kroc.nd.edu/assets/294960/181030_informe_ge_nero_esp_final_2_.pdf;

Gender in Peace Working Group (GPAZ), “Follow-up report on the participation of women in the institutionality of

the transition,” (November 22, 2017).

Priority areas

From the point of view of their jurisdictional competencies, the Recognition, Responsibility,

and Determination of Facts and Conducts Court has incorporated a gender perspective in the

prioritization criteria for opening cases and the protocol for reporting, as well as its decision to

highlight gender-based violence and sexual violence in the following macro cases: Tumaco,

Barbacoas, and Ricaurte (case 002); South of Valle and Cauca (case 005); and the recruitment

of children (case 007).

131

The decision of the Amnesty and Pardoning Court on June 16, 2019, denied amnesty to Oscar

Enrique de Lima Contreras. a former member of the 59th Front of the FARC-EP, for his role in

sexually abusing a girl of the Wayúu ethnic group in 2014. With this decision the entity began to

generate jurisprudence and doctrines regarding sexual violence.

In addition to the above, the Investigation and Prosecution Unit (UIA)

132

has formed a special

investigation team that is already in operation and is led by a prosecutor who is exclusively

responsible for investigating cases of sexual violence in the context of the armed conflict.

133

As of

July 2019, the Unit had completed dialogues with approximately 2,600 victims and organizations

for the participatory construction of a “Sexual Investigation Manual.” This document places

special emphasis on damages, impacts, and effects of sexual violence, as well as mechanisms

for guaranteeing the inclusion and participation of victims in the different forms of reparation.

134

The UIA of the JEP has also created a software program called Layna, in conjunction with

three women’s organizations, that may systematize and analyze a wealth of data on gender-

based violence and sexual violence during the armed conflict. This program allows sharing and

transferring information from databases of different institutions in real time, a mechanism that

will eventually be useful for the construction of a single digital databank with information from

entities such as the Unit for the Attention and Comprehensive Reparation of Victims (UARIV) and

the Ministry of Health.

135

131

“The JEP Investigation Unit advances in cases of sexual violence,” Hacemos memoria, July 21, 2019, http://

hacemosmemoria.org/2019/07/21/delitos-sexules-poscuerdo-jep-colombia/.

132

The Investigation and Prosecution Unit (UIA) of the JEP is the body that deals with the satisfaction of the victims’

right to justice in cases where the perpetrators do not contribute to the truth or do not recognize their responsibility

in violations of human rights or violations of international humanitarian law.

133

Officials (JEP Investigation and Prosecution Unit) interview conducted by the Kroc Institute team, June 28, 2019.

134

“The JEP Investigation Unit advances in cases of sexual violence,” Hacemos memoria, July 21, 2019, http://

hacemosmemoria.org/2019/07/21/delitos-sexules-poscuerdo-jep-colombia/.

135

According to the UIA of the JEP, as of June 2019 they had established agreements for the exchange of informa-

tion on sexual violence with eight entities of the Colombian State; Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), “Presenta-

tion of the UIA of the JEP in the Information Systems Committee of SIVIGE,” (Bogotá, April 30, 2019).

Priority areas

Civil society organizations that participated in this process include three

women’s organizations (Ruta Pacífica de las Mujeres, Sisma Mujer and

Red de Mujeres Profesionales), which contributed their own knowledge,

experience, and data for the design and content of the software. The UN’s

guidelines and international protocols for investigating sexual violence

were taken into account, as well as previous experiences of judicial

processes carried out within the framework of Law 975 of 2005, also

known as the Justice and Peace Law. One of the main advantages of the

Layna program is the possibility of making a detailed characterization

of the victims before, during, and after the victimizing events, which

allows for establishing the damage caused and determining the context

in which the human rights violations occurred. This facilitates judicial

decision making by the JEP.

136

The UIA has also encouraged the development of “information nodes”

that facilitate data exchange and dialogue with other State institutions.

The justice node is a good example because it will bring together

15 entities that will share information and efforts. Among them are

the Ministry of Justice and Law, the Inspector General’s Office, the

Office of the Attorney General, the Judiciary, the Office of the High

Commissioner for Peace (OACP), and the CEV. The interoperability of

this node is expected to be activated in December 2019.

137

As of June 2019, the UIA had recorded 1,346 cases of sexual

violence, in addition to collecting multiple reports. During 2019,

several territorial conferences, such as one in August 2019 in Norte

de Santander, were held. In order to gather information, the UIA

advanced workshops with 200 women victims of sexual violence

in the cities of Santa Marta (Magdalena), Cali (Valle del Cauca),

Medellín (Antioquia), and Barrancabermeja (Santander).

138

The

136

Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), “Presentation of the UIA of the JEP in

the Information Systems Committee of SIVIGE,” (Bogotá, April 30, 2019).

137

Officials (JEP Investigation and Accusation Unit) interview conducted by the

Kroc Institute team, June 28, 2019.

138

Special Jurisdiction for Peace, “Organized by the UIA-JEP, 200 women vic-

tims of sexual violence from 20 departments participated in workshops in four

cities in the country,” (Communiqué 020, August 12, 2019), https://www.

jep.gov.co/SiteAssets/Paginas/JEP/uia/Sala-de-prensa/Comunicado%20

020%20-%20Talleres%20Regionales%20con%20V%C3%ADctimas%20

de%20Violencia%20Sexual.pdf.

Priority areas

possibility of opening a prioritized case on sexual violence, independent of the other cases under

investigation, has been signaled.

139

The Unit has also developed a risk assessment methodology, with contextual variables (such

as the presence of armed actors and illegal economies) for the protection of victims, witnesses,

and intervening actors in processes brought before the JEP.

140

Although the decree that regulates

the mechanisms for the protection of these people has yet to be issued, the Unit is doing risk

analysis and requesting precautionary measures for the Chamber for the cases of Absence of

Acknowledgement of Truth and Responsibility. These measures are executed by the National

Police or by the UNP.

The number of reports that the JEP has received from victims’ and women’s organizations has

grown to at least 20 reports on sexual violence and a large number of reports that account for the

differentiated impact of armed conflict on women.

141

Continuing to support reporting by women

and the LGBT population is a priority issue, given that these reports represent a mechanism for

participation and inclusion that contributes to deepening the transformative sense of transitional

justice for women.

142

As stated in Resolution 2467 of April 2019 of the United Nations Security Council, the most

effective approach to survivors for prevention and response to, as well as for prosecutions

of, sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations, is to strengthen the deterrent and

preventive role of justice by sending a powerful message of zero tolerance. For this reason, the

JEP has the important challenge of ensuring a rigorous, rights-based approach to women in

their judicial decisions. This has the potential to become a reference not only for Colombia but

also for global justice.

143

Truth, Coexistence, and Non-Recurrence Commission (CEV)

To carry out its case documentation work, the CEV has a total of 21 Casas de la Verdad (Truth

Houses) in operation, 11 territorial teams, 5 mobile teams as well as nodes in 5 other regions of

139

Officials (JEP Investigation and Accusation Unit) interview conducted by the Kroc Institute team, June 28, 2019.

140

Ibid.; Officials (JEP Investigation and Accusation Unit) interview conducted by the Kroc Institute team, Septem-

ber 3, 2019.

141

National Network of Women Defenders, “Report on sexual violence in the context of the conflict; Report on

gender violence in Montes de María,” (Bogotá, June 18, 2019).

142

UN Women, “Indigenous women, Afro-descendants, refugees, exiles and migrants, victims and defenders of hu-

man rights contribute to the construction of justice, memory, truth and peace,” (June 18, 2019), https://colombia.

unwomen.org/es/noticias-y-eventos/articulos/2019/06/entrega-informes-sivjrnr.

143

United Nations Security Council, Resolution 2467 of 2019 “Women and peace and security - Sexual violence in

conflicts,” S / RES / 2467, April 23, 2019.

Priority areas

the world.

144

Their objective is to prepare a comprehensive report on the scope and meanings of

these crimes, as well as to make recommendations for caring for victims and survivors. This is

currently done through a structured research process with 10 thematic nuclei and 26 territorial

research routes.

145

As part of its methodology, the CEV conducts dialogues for non-recurrence and recognition

meetings. On June 27, 2019, the First Meeting for the Truth of the CEV took place in Cartagena.

In this meeting the act of recognition was carried out to dignify women and LGBT people

victims of sexual violence during the conflict. The act was called “My body tells the truth,”

and it represented an important testimony of the crimes and pain suffered by the victims, as

well as testament to the resistance, resilience, and survival of these people.

146

According to

Commissioner Carlos Martín Beristain, the CEV will continue to accompany the witnesses and

document the cases of sexual violence that occurred during the conflict.

147

Through a process of coordination between the CEV and the Unit for the Search for Persons

Deemed as Missing in the context of and due to the armed conflict (UBPD), between August

26 and 28, 2019, the second meeting was held to acknowledge women and family members

looking for people deemed as missing in the context of the armed conflict. This second meeting,

held in the city of Pasto (Nariño), facilitated women and family members to actively participate

in an exchange of national and international experiences on the search for persons deemed as

missing. Additionally, they presented the processes they have developed to face the scourge

of disappearance, absence, and neglect through audiovisual and photographic materials in an

exhibition open to the public in the city’s central square. To conclude the meeting there was a

solemn act of recognition of the persistence of these women and their role in the reconstruction

of the social fabric and peacebuilding.

Finally, it is worth noting that social organizations, including women’s organizations, have

delivered different reports to the CEV. For example, the “Brave Voices” report in July 2019,

prepared by the Association of Afro-descendant Women of Northern Cauca (ASOM) and

Women’s Link Worldwide, documents cases of violation of the fundamental rights of Afro-

Colombian women from this area of Colombia.

148

144

Europe, Central America, North America, South America, and Oceania.

145

Areas of cooperation of the Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparations, and Non-Recurrence, “De-

mocracy and armed conflict - Role of the State and its responsibilities,” (presentation, permanent dialogue of the

Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, and Reparations with the international community, September 2019).

146

Truth, Coexistence, and Non-Recurrence Commission, “The truth of the sexual violence that the war has left in

Colombia,” (June 27, 2019), https://comisiondelaverdad.co/actualidad/noticias/la-verdad-de-las-violencias-sex-

uales-que-ha-dejado-la-guerra-en-colombia.

147

Ibid.

148

Truth, Coexistence, and Non-Recurrence Commission, “Without our voices, the truth will be incomplete” (July

11, 2019), https://comisiondelaverdad.co/actualidad/noticias/sin-nuestras-voces-la-verdad-estara-incompleta.

Priority areas

Good practices: technical roundtables

and alliances of the CEV with civil society

and academia

The CEV’s gender group has summoned technical

roundtables with civil society and academics that have

allowed for stronger actions and agreements to facilitate

the documentation of cases and testimonies of the victims.

Some of the actors in these agreements of understanding

include the Humanas Corporation, the University of Bristol,

Women’s Link Worldwide, Colombia Diversa, Affirmative

Caribbean, the Women’s International League for Peace

and Freedom (LIMPAL), Life Workshop, the Corporation

House of Women, the Social and Political Movement of

Black, Afro-Colombian, Raizales and Palenqueras

Women in their diverse identities, and the Ruta Pacífica de

Mujeres.

The joint work of the CEV with the Ruta Pacífica de

Mujeres to document the testimonies of women and the

LGBT population in various places has been working for

decades.

149

By November 2019, Ruta Pacífica de

Mujeres was projected to collect approximately 900

testimonies in the Antioquia-Axis coffee macro-region.

150

Another example is the alliance between the CEV, the

Ruta Pacífica de Mujeres, and the Mission to Support the

Peace Process by the Organization of American States

(MAPP / OAS). Through this alliance, cases were

documented for the clarification of the truth among

women in areas affected by the armed conflict such as

Box

149

Official (Ruta Pacífica de Mujeres) interview conducted by the Kroc Institute team, Apartadó, May 2, 2019.

150

Official (Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence and Non-Repetition Urabá) interview conducted

by the Kroc Institute team, May 3, 2019.

Priority areas

Box

Bajo Cauca, Segovia, as well as Apartadó in the

department of Antioquia and Cúcuta in the department of

Norte de Santander.

151

These agreements, according to Commissioner

Alejandra Miller, do not only recognize the experience

and accumulated knowledge of organizations for the

construction of the truth, but are also a strategy to give

voice and ensure the participation of as many people and

victims as possible across the territories of the country.

152

Another cooperation agreement was signed by the CEV

and UN Women to guarantee the effective inclusion of

the gender perspective in the process of building the

truth about what happened during the armed conflict.

153

151152

153

151

“This is how the alliance between the Ruta Pacífica de Mujeres and the Truth Commission advances,” Truth

Commission, October 11, 2019, https://comisiondelaverdad.co/actualidad/noticias/asi-avanza-la-alianza-entre-la-

ruta-pacifica-de-las-mujeres-y-la-comision-de-la-verdad.

152

Casa de la Mujer (@casa_la), “Firma del Acuerdo de Entendimiento de @casa_la y @Caribeafirmativ con la @

ComisionVerdadC,” Tweet, August 23, 2019, https://twitter.com/casa_la/status/1164979034712944642?s=11.

153

Truth, Coexistence, and Non-Recurrence Commission, “Cooperation agreement with UN Women for the gen-

der approach,” (October 22, 2018), https://comisiondelaverdad.co/actualidad/noticias/acuerdo-de-coopera-

cion-con-onu-mujeres-para-el-enfoque-de-genero; Some of the concrete activities that will result from this agree-

ment are: the consolidation of gender teams in the territorial offices, the positioning of the technical table of the

gender working group with the participation of women’s platforms in the country, and the development of a me-

thodology for the systematization, analysis and production of reports on cases of sexual violence. For the period

between September 2019 and October 2021, the actions under the agreement will allow the CEV to achieve the

following results: 1. Preparation of a Final Report containing the analysis of the differentiated impacts and types of

sexual violence and Gender-based violence experienced by women and LGBT people in the internal armed conflict

in Cauca, Meta and Nariño, which will be included in the final report of the Truth Commission. 2. Realization of two

meetings for the truth for the recognition of the dignity of the victims with the participation of women and LGBT

rural, black, Afro-Colombian, raizales and palenqueras LGBT people from the departments of Boyacá, Cundina-

marca, Meta, Cauca and Chocó and 3. Evaluation and update of the processes led by the gender group of the Truth

Commission, in accordance with the recommendations of the technical advisory tables with a gender perspective.

Priority areas

Unit for the Search for Persons Deemed as Missing in the context of and due to the

armed conflict (UBPD)

During 2018, the UBPD focused on the organization of its work team, and during 2019 it

has dealt with completing its work guidelines and methodologies, which include gender and

ethnic differential approaches. It received recommendations from the UN Working Group

on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and the expert committee of the Monitoring

Mechanism of the Convention of Belém do Pará (MESECVI) of the OAS, for the search of

women and LGBT people.

154

Seven people from the UBPD have received training on the

gender perspective in the work of this entity.

155

According to the UBPD management report, documents with a gender-based approach were

prepared in the first quarter of 2019, including: 1) “Concepts of participation, advice, contact,

accompaniment, and differential, gender and psychosocial approaches,” 2) “Conceptual

definitions, differential approaches, and the gender approach,” and 3) “Processes,

methodologies, and articulation nodes (Flowchart).”

156

The UBPD has coordinated with

organizations and platforms of women and LGBT people, as well as with organizations in

some regions of the country, for the participation of women in the process of searching for

missing persons.

157

By August 2019, the UBPD stated that it had received information about

624 people found missing by human rights and victims’ organizations, of which 87 cases

were women (13% of the total).

158

154

Officials (Unit for the search of persons considered missing in the context and because of the armed conflict and

the German Cooperation Agency GIZ) interview conducted by the Kroc Institute team, January 23, 2019.

155

Ibid.

156

Unit for the search of persons considered missing in the context and due to the armed conflict, “Update of the

management and accountability report 2018 in the first quarter of 2019” (Bogotá, May 16, 2019), https://www.

ubpdbusquedadesaparecidos.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Actualizacio%CC%81n-Informe-de-gestio%C-

C%81n-UBPD-1er-trimestre-2019-SP16-05-2019.pdf.

157

Officials (Unit for the search of persons considered missing in the context and because of the armed conflict and

the German Cooperation Agency GIZ) interview conducted by the Kroc Institute team, January 23, 2019.

158

Unit for the search of persons considered missing in the context and because of the armed conflict, “# UBPDre-

cibeInformación | Six organizations of victims and human rights have submitted information to the #UBPD for the

search of missing persons in the framework and because of the armed conflict,” Facebook Post, August 23, 2019,

https://www.facebook.com/ubpdcolombia/posts/368929950445047?__tn__=-R.

Priority areas

Comprehensiveness of the SIVJRNR and Collective Reparations

The SIVJRNR is made up of a series of mechanisms that work in a coordinated way to ensure

the comprehensive reparation of the victims of the armed conflict. The interconnection

of its components can be seen, for example, in the conditionality and incentive relations

between judicial and extrajudicial arrangements for the acknowledgment of responsibility

by perpetrators, the clarification of the truth, and their contribution to reparation.

159

The non-

recurrence of the victimizing events is the result of the parallel operation of all the components

of the SIVJRNR, as well as the full implementation of the other commitments and the points

of the Final Accord.

On August 15, 2019 in a Bogotá meeting, director of the Victims Unit (UARIV), Ramón

Rodríguez, extolled the advances of the collective reparation of organizations and groups

constituted by women. As of July 31, 2019, eight organizations are on the path to reparations,

and acts of sexual violence have been identified. Likewise, he affirmed that for 26 collective,

ethnic, and non-ethnic organizations and groups, 41 reparative actions for sexual violence

have been formulated.

160

Within the framework of collective reparation to organizations and groups, the League

of Displaced Women in San Jacinto and El Carmen de Bolívar—with presence in two

PDET municipalities and subject to collective reparation—has been a beneficiary of

the Comprehensive Collective Reparations Plan (PIRC). This Plan has an investment of

approximately $428 million pesos (USD $130,000).

161

According to the director of the UARIV,

the Emotional Group Recovery Strategies (EREGS) are being developed in a complementary

way with the program of Psychosocial Care and Integral Health Program for Victims (PAPSIVI),

led by the Ministry of Health. Additionally, he affirmed that there are nine methodological

strategies with a differential and rights-based approach to address the psychosocial, moral,

and political damages of the victims. Through these strategies, a total of 26,401 female

victims of sexual violence have been treated since 2012.

162

159

High Commissioner for Peace, “P&R: Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition,”

accessed September 27, 2019, http://www.altocomisionadoparalapaz.gov.co/procesos-y-conversaciones/proce-

so-de-paz-con-las-farc-ep/Paginas/PR-Sistema-integral-de-Verdad-Justicia-Reparacion-y-no-Repeticion.aspx.

160

“Before the Nobel Peace Prize, Denis Mukwege, the director of the Unit explained what has been done for the

victims of sexual violence,” Victims Unit, August 15, 2019, https://bit.ly/2H7KSgz.

161

Office of the Presidential Councilor for Stabilization and Consolidation, “Management report on the implementa-

tion of the Final Peace Agreement, August 7, 2018 to July 31, 2019,” (Bogotá, 2019), 47.

162

Unit for Comprehensive Attention and Reparation for Victims, “Before the Nobel Peace Prize, Denis Mukwege,

the unit director explained what has been done for victims of sexual violence,” (August 15, 2019), https://bit.

ly/2H7KSgz.

Priority areas

These examples show progress in specific cases

of collective reparations. However, the reparation

processes framed in the Victim Care, Assistance, and

Comprehensive Reparation Policy must be further

developed, and the effective application of the reforms

and guarantees that were included in the Final Accord

must be implemented.

163

For example, administrative

compensation to victims must overcome serious

delays and lags,

164

as well as address collective

reparations and review of PDET initiatives.

163

Negotiation Table, “Final Agreement to End the

Armed Conflict and Build a Stable and Lasting

Peace,” (Colombia: Office of the High Commis-

sioner for Peace, 2017), 181.

164

Andrés Montes Alba, “The claim of the vic-

tims to the Government for delays in compen-

sation,” El Espectador, February 21, 2018,

https://www.elespectador.com/noticias/

nacional/el-reclamo-de-las-victimas-al-go-

bierno-por-demoras-en-las-indemni-

zaciones-articulo-740308.

Conclusions

n its second report, the International Accompaniment Component, which includes UN

Women, Sweden, and the Women’s International Democratic Federation (FDIM), together

with the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, has synthesized the progress and

challenges in the implementation of the gender perspective in the Colombian Peace Accord.

The objective of this work is not only to monitor the process, but also to highlight good

practices and areas that must be prioritized in order to contribute to the decision-making of

the actors involved in implementation.

The Colombian Peace Agreement represents a milestone at the international level for the

Women, Peace, and Security agenda proposed by Resolution 1325 of the United Nations

Security Council. It includes gender commitments and mechanisms for monitoring the

implementation jointly with women’s organizations. However, in the words of the UN Secretary

General, “if they are not implemented, even the best formulated stipulations lack power.”

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To build a quality peace, full incorporation and fulfillment of the gender perspective, the

guarantee of women’s rights, and progress towards substantive gender equality in the

country are necessary. The implementation of these commitments is particularly important

at the current stage of implementation of the Peace Agreement because the creation of

a new institutional infrastructure and the approval of legislation and plans to strengthen

and consolidate implementation at the territorial level must be achieved. In this report, the

Kroc Institute and the International Component have highlighted the importance of female

leadership and their organizations for local peacebuilding and the transformative power of

the effective implementation of the commitments of the Final Accord, contributing to the

sustainability of peace and development.

During 2018 and 2019, important progress was made in the development and strengthening

of the institutions and indicators contained in the PMI for the incorporation of gender

commitments. These include advances in the implementation of commitments for rural

reform, pilot projects, regulatory changes, inclusion of gender measures in reincorporation,

and transversal implementation of the approach to the SIVJRNR.

However, the persistent implementation gap between the gender commitments and the

overall Final Accord signifies that additional work remains. According to the analysis of the

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United Nations “Report of the Secretary General on women and peace and security S / 2018/900,” October

2018, 15.

Conclusions

Kroc Institute, as of August 2019, only 8% of the gender commitments have been completed

compared to 25% of all the commitments of the Agreement (a difference of 17 percentage

points). Additionally, there is a higher percentage of gender commitments that have not been

initiated: nearly 42% have not been initiated, versus 27% in the general implementation,

totaling a gap in implementation of 15 percentage points. The issues producing delays

and that must be addressed immediately are primarily related to the programs that seek

to transform the areas most affected by the conflict (that is, PDET, PNIS, and land), the

security guarantees for women and LGBT population in the territories, and the elimination of

barriers so that ex-combatant women can participate meaningfully in the political, economic,

and social activities of reincorporation. Prioritizing security guarantees with a differential

approach is of vital importance because the violence faced by communities and leaders in

the territories puts the entire agreement’s implementation and the construction of a lasting

and transformative peace at risk.

Colombia has in its hands an unprecedented opportunity to build a sustainable quality peace

in the territories through the implementation of the gender perspective and the full participation

of women. By placing women at the center of its implementation, the agreement has the

potential to significantly reduce inequality gaps in Colombia between the countryside and the

city, between women and men, and between ethnic communities and the rest of the population.

It is essential to continue building on the progress made, with peacebuilding remaining at

the center of the national and local political agenda. To support this process, the following

section presents the most important recommendations regarding the implementation of the

gender commitments contained in the agreement.

Recommendations

General

recommendations

1. Insist on the specific recommendations from the Committee on the Elimination of

Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to the Colombian State

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that it is necessary

to accelerate the implementation of the gender stipulations of the Peace Agreement.

For this, it is necessary to ensure that sufficient human and financial resources are

allocated for effective implementation, with effective monitoring in place to assess the

impact of the gender equality stipulations in the Framework Plan for Implementation

(PMI). Likewise, it is necessary to increase the presence of State institutions and the

availability of basic services in the areas most affected by the armed conflict, According

to the specific and diverse needs of women, the security concerns of communities, and

the prevention of recruitment of children by armed actors.

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2. Take the opportunity to move from commitments to actions around women, peace, and

security within the framework of the twentieth anniversary of Security Council Resolution

1325 of 2000, and its contribution to conflict prevention, sustainable peace, sustainable

development, and human rights, as referred to by the Secretary General of the United

Nations in its most recent report on “Women, Peace, and Security.”

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3. Accelerate the implementation of the work plans of the 51 indicators of the PMI gender

chapter by means of public reports that include the monitoring of budgets assigned to

these indicators, applying the gender and peace budget plotters included in the National

Development Plan.

4. Strengthen the political dialogue between the CSIVI and the Special Forum of Women to

help guarantee a gender perspective in the implementation of the Final Accord and the

Special High-Level Forum with Ethnic Peoples (IEANPE), ensuring regularly scheduled

meetings between the CSIVI and the forums.

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Contained in the concluding observations on the ninth periodic report of Colombia and approved by the Com-

mittee at its 72nd session (February 18 to March 8, 2019).

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Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Concluding observations on the ninth periodic

report of Colombia. CEDAW / C / COL / CO / 9. Paragraph 16. See: http://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/File-

sHandler.ashx?enc=6QkG1d%2fPPRiCAqhKb7yhsoVqDbaslinb8oXgzpEhivjlqHzzFTcwVEHsbJTgf5Is3h4f6Zla-

n7uSNhP3LjUWNwrqnbZIa17ZQZcmRKRsV0l5pQu%2bVVFkDsQR0cxTGWVF.

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United Nations Organization (UN), “Report of the Secretary General on women, and peace and security),” S /

2019/800, Paragraph 121, https://undocs.org/es/S/2019/800.

Recommendations

5. Ensure the sustainability of the Special Forum

of Women for the Implementation of the

Gender Based Approach during the period

covered by the implementation of the PMI

by means of a strategy that coordinates the

technical, political, and financial support

that the Forum requires for its operation, as

well as the contributions received through

international cooperation.

6. Ensure the incorporation of a gender

perspective not only as a principle, but

also as a measure and result in post-

conflict funding, programs, and financing

projects led by the National Government,

coordinating the contributions from the

international community and bilateral

and multilateral cooperation. The

recommendation of the Secretary

General of the United Nations is to

ensure a commitment of 30% of

the resources allocated to these

funds for gender equality and the

empowerment of women.

7. Reactivate the International

Accompaniment Components with

the assignment of responsibilities

in Point 6 of the Final Accord,

including mechanisms for

permanent dialogue within these

spaces, with the CSIVI, and with

the Special Forums created by

the Final Accord, to ensure

maximizing contribution

levels to the comprehensive

implementation of the Final

Accord.

Recommendations

Thematic

recommendations

1. Coordinate the implementation of the commitments that include affirmative gender

actions related to Comprehensive Rural Reform and the substitution of illicit crops

through local development plans. This coordination should include equivalent plans

for ethnic communities and incorporate a transformative gender perspective benefiting

women in rural areas, the approval of a gender-sensitive protocol and its implementation

within the PNIS, and the prioritization of the implementation of stipulations focused

on issues related to women and gender within the PATRs, as well as those that allow

implementing the PMI gender indicators.

2. Strengthen the preventive and collective dimensions of the protection of the rights

of women leaders and defenders, guaranteeing not only a differential approach, but

also an ethnic and territorial one that meets the specific needs of women in all

their diversity. It is necessary to accelerate the implementation of the Comprehensive

Guarantee Program for Leaders and Human Rights Defenders. This program must

be coordinated at the national level with the Comprehensive Public Policy of Respect

and Guarantees for the work of Defense of Human Rights, and at the territorial level,

with the new municipal and departmental development plans, as well as the citizen

security and coexistence plans. Likewise, the State’s accountability mechanisms, its

investigative capacity, and its sanctioning capacity must be strengthened, in order to

overcome impunity in relation to the attacks suffered by women defenders. And finally,

it is necessary to strengthen the organizational processes and leadership of women

in accordance with what was pointed out by the United Nations Special Rapporteur

on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, promoting a culture of “comprehensive

security”

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that addresses both the individual and collective terms of the physical,

digital, and psychosocial dimensions of security.

3. Accelerate the integral implementation of CONPES 3931 of 2018 and the specific

measures aimed at overcoming obstacles to the participation of ex-combatant women

in economic, political, and social activities within the framework of the process of

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United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, “Visit to Colombia, November

20 to December 3, 2018. End of Mission Statement,” (December 3, 2018), https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/

Issues/Defenders/StatementVisitColombia3Dec2018_SP.pdf.

Recommendations

their reincorporation process. It is necessary to promote programs and opportunities

for their technical and professional qualification, guarantee access to comprehensive

health services and provide measures to support the care of children. In terms of public

policy, it is necessary to ensure greater coordination between the stipulations of the

Accord with a territorial scope and the aforementioned CONPES as a mechanism for

strengthening community reincorporation processes. It is necessary to ensure the

continuity and functioning of the Gender Board of the National Reincorporation Council.

4. Continue advancing in the coordinated implementation of a gender perspective in

the SIVJRNR, combating the barriers that discourage the active participation of

women victims in it and strengthening actions related to comprehensive reparations

for victims. It is crucial to move forward in the Accord measures related to improving

the participation of women victims and their organizations in spaces where collective

reparation priorities are defined, as well as monitoring and oversight mechanisms. It

is necessary to improve the quality of psychosocial care for the emotional recovery of

victims of sexual violence and the incorporation of the gender and differential approach in

community rehabilitation strategies. It is also necessary to prioritize the implementation

of the initiatives with a gender focus of the PATRs catalogued under Pillar 8 of the PDTA,

since they have an important emphasis on processes related to the rights of victims to

reparations, and to participate in the consolidation of peace.