Does the implementation status of gender provisions affect the implementation of a peace agreement? Evidence from Colombia's 2016 peace agreement implementation process

Abstract

In 2016, the Colombian government and the leftist insurgency group FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo) signed an agreement that ensures women's greater participation in the peace implementation process, their access to benefits from the programs, and their ability to reform initiatives in the agreement. While applauded for adhering to the UNSCR 1325 normative commitments on women's roles in peace processes, it's unclear how adopting a gender perspective affects the entire agreement's implementation success. This article analyzes monthly data on the implementation of 578 stipulations and 70 subthemes (reforms or programs) and evaluates peace implementation from a gender perspective. The findings from the stipulation level analysis reveal an implementation gap between gender and gender-neutral or non-gender provisions. The subtheme level analyses further confirm this finding that gender provisions alone do not contribute to the overall peace implementation success; rather, implementing those provisions is foundational for advancing the overall peace implementation.