Following the signing of a peace treaty between the Colombia government and the largest Colombian rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Feinstein program manager Roxani Krystalli commented on the Colombian peace process in various news outlets.

The Washington Post: “Here’s how attention to gender affected Colombia’s peace process”

In this piece, Roxani and Professor Kimberly Theidon, the Leir Chair of International Humanitarian Studies at The Fletcher School,  analyze how traditional notions of family and anti-LGBT sentiment were mobilized to rally the ‘No’ vote in the October 2 referendum in Colombia. They also discuss the gender provisions of the peace talks, and religious groups’ attitudes towards these developments. The full Washington Post piece is available here.

The Conversation: “Getting to yes in Colombia: What it would take to reintegrate the FARC”

Gender and stigma are at the core of Roxani and Kimberly’s analysis in another collaborative piece, published on the site of The Conversation. They discuss the reasons men and women alike join armed groups, and why for many former combatants it is so difficult to transition back to civilian life.

In addition, the two consider justice from the perspectives of government officials, conflict-affected individuals, and demobilizing combatants, detailing how the different experiences of these groups contributed to the outcome of the referendum. Their article on The Conversation can be read in full here.

The Atlantic:  “To Be a Guerrilla, and a Woman, in Colombia,”

Roxani was quoted in this piece by The Atlantic, published on September 28, two days after the peace treaty was signed.

Amidst discussion of the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of women combatants in Colombia, one question asked in the article is why so many women have been demobilizing informally, rather than through the Colombian Reintegration Agency (ACR), the office that now guides former combatants into civilian life. Roxani speaks on this subject, detailing the severe drawbacks of informal demobilization, and also how women may be influenced in their decisions by stigma associated with gender expectations in Colombian society. Read the full article here.

Humanosphere: “Columbian peace negotiators urged to reconsider gender in next deal.”

In this article, Roxani is quoted discussing the gender provisions of the next Colombian peace accord. She speaks on the experience and aspirations of female combatants in the FARC, and how they diverge from the gender expectations both of the government and of the rural areas where some of them grew up. Acknowledging that gender issues advocates are losing visibility in the peace process, Roxani emphasizes the vital importance of gender perspectives to an effective peace agreement. Click here to read the article.