Aspirational “Total Peace”: Feminism in the Face of Resurging Violence in Chocó, Colombia

Abstract

Following a historic election result in Colombia, the left-wing government has proposed a policy of “Total Peace”for the country. President Petro and Vice President Márquez have promised to put human rights—including women’s rights—at the center of plans for peace and development, with a particular emphasis on the rights of communities historically marginalized from political power. However, the country continues to face mounting and escalating violence at the hands of armed groups. This article analyzes the situation faced by women in the department of Chocó, on the Pacific coast of Colombia, in their peacebuilding efforts amid conditions of adverse security. Despite what might be considered a failure of the peace dividends they were promised, women leaders have continued their resistance. They (i) take advantage of small political empowerment opportunities to sow the seeds for transformative growth and (ii) model a forward-looking and aspirational version of what Total Peace could look like rather than solely reacting to new sites of violence. Indeed, drawing on a situated anti-violence, anti-misogyny, and anti-racist vision of peace, women in Chocóuse the peace accord as a platform to make advances in their historical agenda of gender, ethnic, racial, and environmental rights, even though the document itself has not delivered as promised.