Tracing inclusivity: assessing the recognition of women and LGBTIQ+ voices in the Colombian peace process

Abstract

The inclusion of the voices of women and LGBTIQ+ victims has varied throughout the different stages of the Colombian peace process. This thesis studies how the moral claims of these groups have been acknowledged or disregarded in the negotiation, composition, and implementation of the Peace Agreement, and it determines the level of inclusivity achieved at each stage. To do so, it conducts a historical reconstruction of these claims, as they appeared in the negotiation phase of the Agreement, and traces them all the way to the first JEP’s rulings regarding gender-based violence. A particular emphasis is placed on the peace plebiscite and the composition of a second version of the Peace Agreement. These turning points risked inclusion and recognition due to a conservative campaign against “gender ideology.” Throughout this study, the thesis aims to demonstrate how the historical advocacy of LGBTIQ+ and women’s organizations, along with the innovative judicial interpretations of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, have expanded the scope of gender perspective and gender-based violence. These developments have led to the recognition of LGBTIQ+ and women victims and facilitated a more comprehensive analysis of systems of oppression.