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.
"When you prioritize gender, you end up addressing the broader society's needs."
“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 Columbia'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.
"Gender measures and women's mobilization are not sufficient without proper safegaurds to ensure their implementation."
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.
Learn More
- Madhav Joshi's research & biography
- The Peace Accords Matrix and Barometer Initiative
- Read the full study: Does the implementation status of gender provisions affect the implementation of a peace agreement? Evidence from Colombia's 2016 peace agreement implementation process
Originally published by at keough.nd.edu on December 20, 2024.
Latest Research
- A game, not a grind: Notre Dame students develop mobile app to make math funStudents often say that math is their least favorite subject—too abstract, too much about memorizing rules and formulae, and, frankly, not much fun. That’s why two Notre Dame students have created an educational, gamified math app, Pi-Squared. Their mobile phone app, designed for students aged 15-18, prepares users for standardized math exams, while also appealing to those who enjoy math puzzles.
- ‘Who the messenger is matters’: Lakshmi Iyer shows that cultural leaders can positively influence population growthFertility rates across the world have been steadily dropping since 1950. Pinpointing the reasons is at the heart of Lakshmi Iyer's work as a professor of economics and global affairs. Her research exemplifies the kind of population-level research that Notre Dame Population Analytics (ND Pop), a new research initiative at the University, seeks to foster.
- ND Founders Profile #164: Turning waste into opportunity — Ben Moore’s mission to reduce food waste with The Ugly CompanyAfter being discharged from the Army due to an injury, Ben Moore returned to his family’s farm in California’s San Joaquin Valley, a region that produces nearly 80 percent of the fruit and nuts consumed in the United States. However, when his father, a fourth-generation farmer, explained there was…
- American studies professor wins Russell Sage Foundation grant for research on untold Southeast Asian refugee stories…
- Lee Gettler, professor of anthropology, elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of ScienceOn Thursday, March 27, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) announced the 2024 class of AAAS Fellows including Lee Gettler, the Rev. John A. O’Brien College Professor of Anthropology in the College of Arts and Letters at the University of Notre Dame.
- Rare disease drug nitisinone makes human blood deadly to mosquitoesA study in Science Translational Medicine found when patients take the drug nitisinone, their blood becomes deadly to mosquitoes.
