Time is Running Out to Implement the Gender Approach in Colombia's Peace Accord

The Colombian Final Accord, signed in 2016, marked a historic milestone for the country as it envisioned the construction of a more just and equal society through the participation of women. The implementation of the gender approach has been fundamental to guaranteeing the protection and promotion of the rights of women and LGBTQ+ people. However, this process has been fraught with obstacles due to the profound social and structural changes that implementing a gender approach requires. Additionally, limited understanding of its scope has made it difficult to uniformly mainstream gender in policies and programs created within the framework of the Final Accord. The accord’s gender approach will not reach full, or even intermediate implementation, without reinvigorated planning and concerted effort to mainstream and push forward gender implementation. Key recommendations from the brief include increased funding for gender approach fulfillment, greater technical capacity for the gender approach at the territorial level, and the designation of a high-level position specifically charged with guaranteeing gender commitment implementation.