The abysmal security situation facing human rights defenders, social leaders, Afro-Colombian and Indigenous activists, and environmental defenders in Colombia is well-known. According to the Institute for Development and Peace Studies (INDEPAZ), from January 1 until March 30 alone, 48 social leaders and human rights defenders were assassinated and 98 massacres took place in the country. Women’s roles in conflicts—as peacemakers, mothers, victims, and revolutionaries—is well studied in academia. What has been less explored is why women engage in feminist mobilization, even when this exposes them to tremendously high levels of risk.
Dr. Julia Margaret Zulver, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, researched this question and recently published a book titled, “High-Risk Feminism in Colombia.” The book explores how three women’s organizations upended traditional gender norms to defy armed group’s control on their communities, exposing them to retributive punishment. Digging into the experiences of the Liga de Mujeres Desplazadas, Afromupaz, and la Alianza de Mujeres Tejedoras de Vida, Dr. Zulver’s book provides insights on how different feminist movements are major players in creating transformative change in Colombia. She will also discuss her recent article in the Washington Post where she analyzes how demands for gender justice are playing out in Colombia’s 2022 presidential elections.
This virtual event will be live-streamed on Zoom. Details below. |
