Colombia: Civil Conflict, Violence, and Women’s Political Participation

Abstract

This chapter analyzes the history of women’s voting rights and political participation in Colombia. The largest mobilization occurred in the 1930s and 1940s, during a tumultuous period with increasingly polarized partisan politics and attempts to destabilize electoral politics, including the start of what is simply known as La Violencia. This context framed many of the debates on women’s political rights, with women’s suffrage becoming part of an attempt to pacify the country. Colombia’s subsequent history of civil conflict continues to impact political participation, from voters’ access to the ballot boxes to regions plagued with electoral fraud to the recent referendum on the peace accord. The presence of armed actors has also had a profound impact on Colombian women’s political participation.