La “compañera política”: mujeres militantes y espacios de “agencia” en insurgencias latinoamericanas

• Main Author: Luisa María Dietrich Ortega
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad de los Andes 2014-04-01
• Series: Colombia Internacional
• Subjects: Insurgent femininities; female excombatants; agency; empowerment; gender regimes; gender relations; militarised masculinities; critical masculinity studies
• Online Access: http://colombiainternacional.uniandes.edu.co/view.php/9162/index.php?id=9162

This article explores gender arrangements within insurgent projects in El Salvador, Colombia and Peru. Particular interest lies in the introduction of an insurgent femininity, "the female comrade" and the possibilities for enhanced agency offered in the context of armed conflict. Analysis on an institutional level enables to differentiate two levels within insurgent regimes that are governed by differing gender arrangements: on the one hand, a level that is "functional to armed conflict", that has a disposition toward change, and, on the other hand, a level that is associated to "emotional relations" that tend to enforce masculine privilege. The findings allow for nuanced approaches on transit from armed struggle towards post-conflict and the mechanisms that operate to re-install and perpetuate gendered inequalities.