3 minute read
The Political Proposals of Women in Bogotá
THE POLITICAL PROPOSALS OF
WOMEN IN BOGOTÁ
Contibutions to peacebuilding are based on resistance and strengthening the actions of young and mature women as pedagogy for protecting life and territory.
TEXT AND PHOTO: CENTRO DE PROMOCIÓN Y CULTURA-CPC
F
ollowing the arrival of the new administration, social and women’s organizations await the changes that these four years may bring. It is impossible to forget the systemic assassination of social and environmental leaders and young people, the non-compliance with the Peace Accord, and institutional violence. All this makes us think and reflect on the proposals of women in Colombia to transform all this pain caused by many years of war.
Positioning the proposals of social organizations has been and will continue to be a challenge, since the work in the territories continues to be stigmatized—with threats made against those doing the work—not just in the rural parts of Colombia but also in the cities where the political acts of women and young people is not to the liking of those who use the war as a way to organize, live, and increase their wealth, for actions for peace often conflict with the strategies of these groups or individuals in the territories.
Preparing women for political participation and advocacy is one of the challenges, since the objective is to prioritize the implementation of the Peace Accord in the capital, and women’s ability to participate and create action plans is important not only for them but for all of society, since their proposals will support the changes that those who wish to build peace so long for. In this sense, we also believe that strengthening the alliance for the development of a National Action Plan that has a feminist heart and vision, in order to implement Resolution 1325 in the country, continues to represent a major challenge.
One action that has been vital to this process is the facilitation of community programs, one of the axes of action that enables the training, positioning, and participation of women and young people; these spaces have shown how indespensible women are to the project of peacebuilding.
Advancing the Working Class and Diverse Women’s Peace Agenda through these actions in Bogotá is important for social and women’s organizations, as peace is built through relationships in these spaces. Likewise, it is important to prioritize proposals for a life free from violence, given how necessary it is for women’s rights to be respected in all contexts of the conflict.
We cannot deny the increase in violence against women and femicides;
we cannot allow acts wherein the patriarchy attempts to continue coopting the political role and bodies of women, making women invisible and silencing the power they hold. Recognizing women’s bodies as the first territory for peace and politics opens the door to recognizing our battles and resignifying the processes that have been built.
We must think and ask ourselves how we want to build peace in this political context, how to continue forging ties of sorority, love, cooperation, and alliance among women, how, as women, we can continue empowering each other in every process, and how the youth can begin to plant seeds that will call them together to work to create meaningful changes in such painful contexts as those we have had to experience in Colombia and which are reflected in the current context. In this sense, we must also think of how to contribute to the current moment, without letting our eyes be dazzled, without falling into naivete, and maintaining our current levels of autonomy and healthy criticism. This is also our time. FM
