Research on Colombian peace accord shows that addressing gender issues strengthens peace agreements
When it comes to peace processes and negotiations, U.N. Women highlights a stark reality: All too often, women remain invisible and excluded. But a new study by University of Notre Dame political scientist Madhav Joshi draws on evidence from Colombia to show that addressing gender-related issues helps peace agreements succeed.
Gender-inclusive peacebuilding: lessons from Colombia
The study, published in Policy Studies Journal, is the first peer-reviewed research that examines Notre Dame’s ongoing work to monitor the Colombian peace accord. It has implications for strengthening peace agreements as well as the women, peace and security agenda that was inspired by a landmark U.N. resolution more than two decades ago.
“An inclusive approach that sees women as changemakers and addresses gender-specific concerns empowers other marginalized groups and cultivates meaningful buy-in from more people,” said Joshi, research professor and associate director of the Peace Accords Matrix, part of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs. “When you prioritize gender, you end up addressing the broader society’s needs.”
Monitoring progress on Colombia's peace agreement
The study is a natural progression for Notre Dame researchers. Since the 2016 Colombian peace agreement ended 50 years of conflict, the Peace Accords Matrix has had primary responsibility for technical verification and for monitoring the implementation of the agreement through its Barometer Initiative.
In his latest research, Joshi analyzed monthly monitoring data for provisions outlined in the Colombian accord. He examined approximately 70 reforms and programs designed to support more than 570 key stipulations in the agreement.
Joshi found that a higher implementation status for gender-related measures (for instance, identifying obstacles that kept women from voting) was related to the agreement’s overall success rate.
Investing in safeguards for gender provisions
Importantly, Joshi also confirmed that negotiators must invest the resources needed to overcome resistance.
When he examined stipulations in the Colombian agreement, he found that the implementation of gender-specific provisions lagged behind the implementation of gender-neutral ones. This indicates a level of societal resistance to changing norms, Joshi said, and the need for policymakers to invest in safeguards.
“This study highlights that gender measures and women’s mobilization are not sufficient without proper safeguards to ensure their implementation,” Joshi said. “But with the necessary support, they will succeed and strengthen peace agreements. And the resulting quality of peace could be really impactful, particularly for transitioning societies such as Colombia.”
Advancing women, peace and security debates
Joshi said the study provides data and methods that other researchers can draw upon as they build on this work.
“My research will advance women, peace and security debates in peace processes,” Joshi said. “This study will help researchers identify factors that help or hinder women’s inclusion in peacebuilding.”
Joshi’s support team for the study included research assistants Clare Barloon, a 2024 Notre Dame graduate who majored in global affairs and art history, and Grace Sullivan, a sophomore majoring in global affairs and minoring in peace studies and gender studies. Jenna Sapiano, a specialist on women, peace and security and a visiting fellow at the Keough School’s Kroc Institute, provided feedback to help guide the study.
The Peace Accords Matrix Barometer Initiative in Colombia received funding from the U.S. Department of State, Humanity United, the U.N. Multi-Partner Trust Fund and the European Union.
Originally published by at keough.nd.edu on Dec. 20.
Contact: Tracy DeStazio, associate director of media relations, 574-631-9958 or tdestazi@nd.edu
Latest International
- On the eve of COP30 in Brazil, Notre Dame convenes faculty in São PauloSince its founding, the University of Notre Dame has sought to address the world’s most pressing challenges through scholarship, partnership and service. Responding to the growing urgency of environmental change requires precisely this kind of collaboration, bringing together universities, researchers and communities to create solutions that are just, sustainable and grounded in shared responsibility for our planet. This November, COP30 will convene in Belem, Brazil. Capitalizing on Notre Dame’s presence in São Paulo, Notre Dame Global and Notre Dame São Paulo will host a conference together with Notre Dame Research and the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership (NDDCEL), the week before the international climate summit.
- Catholic Peacebuilding Network releases new report on global mining, using Catholic social teaching lensNotre Dame's Catholic Peacebuilding Network released a new report, Catholic Approaches to Mining: A Framework for Reflection, Planning, and Action, a nearly 50-page report identifying the problems associated with mining — social, economic and environmental among them — and analyzing these issues through Catholic social teaching to provide a path forward for mining-affected communities.
- Notre Dame’s Kellogg Institute partners with Vanderbilt University to launch 2025-26 democracy surveyThe University of Notre Dame’s Kellogg Institute for International Studies and Vanderbilt University’s Center for Global Democracy are partnering to advance one of the world’s leading surveys on attitudes toward democracy. Starting in October, the Center for Global Democracy, with support from the Kellogg Institute, will conduct the 2025-26 round of the AmericasBarometer, which tracks public opinion on democracy in 20 countries across the Americas.
- University of Notre Dame joins the Global Coalition of Ukrainian StudiesThe University of Notre Dame has joined the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies after signing a memorandum of cooperation, formalized Sept. 24, at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York City. Notre Dame joined four other American institutions that were also publicly welcomed to the coalition at this event: Arizona State University, Columbia University, Manor College and the Shevchenko Scientific Society.
- Statement from University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., on the anniversary of the atomic bombing of HiroshimaToday, on the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, Father Dowd offered remarks at the Elisabeth University of Music as a guest of its president, Yuji Kawano, and Bishop Alexis Mitsuru Shirahama of Hiroshima. Father Dowd focused on the role that universities can play in addressing the current nuclear predicament and the wider challenges of peace in today’s world.
- Vatican honors Martin and Carmel Naughton with papal awardThe late Pope Francis, in one of his last acts, conferred the honour of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great upon Carmel and Martin Naughton, Trustee Emeritus of the University of Notre Dame. The papal honor is in recognition of the Naughtons’ outstanding philanthropy in the areas of education and the arts, particularly in the provision of philanthropic support and scholarships to Catholic education at the University of Notre Dame and Kylemore Abbey, and in their transformative contributions to higher education in Ireland.
