What are the different experiences of men, women,

boys, girls, and sexual and gender minorities? How does intersectionality play into these experiences?

Colombia is a country with rich history and great economic diversity. There are mixtures of European, African, Native American, and Spanish heritages within the indigenous peoples. The cultural dynamics have a direct impact on the roles of individuals and families in the communal dynamic. With regards to Plan Colombia, all communities and intersections of individuals were impacted by the violence (Katrina 2002). From the scope of Colombia’s culture and looking at the perspective of Plan Colombia, it is very important to put into consideration the different experiences that would exist between men, women, young children, and sexual and gender minorities within Colombia.

Like many other Latin American countries rooted in heritage, Colombia has a unique traditional dynamic. In light of a time of increased violence (like the violence that ensued during Plan Colombia), “men continue to be the principal actors of war” (Meertens and Stoller 133). Colombian men have to take on the role of protector in times of increased violence and conflict. That means playing an active role as soldiers or armed militia. It is important to note that Colombia has made great efforts to implement policies that allow for increased gender equality. When analyzing the roles of men in the household structure, men are viewed as the primary income earners. They are expected to possess certain authoritarian attitudes as fathers (Giunta, Tirado, Márquez, 2011). It is not uncommon for Colombian men to feel shameful if their wife earns more money than them (Cultural Atlas). Under Colombian cultural standards, “men are expected to be masculine, self-reliant and dominant” (Cultural Atlas). The term for these collective ideal qualities is ‘machismo’. This expectation directly dictates the role they are expected to take on when violence/war breaks out.

Women play a huge role in protecting the community and its identity. The ideal image and role of women in Colombia has deep roots in Roman Catholicism (Cultural Atlas). In the family structure, women are viewed widely as the caretakers. They play a monumental role in the community as they are seen as those who preserve the identity of the indigenous communities. They are “important producers and reproducers of family life” and play an integral role in “transmitting cultural values” (Katrina 2002). Looking within the framework of conflict (particularly in light of the violence that transpired during Plan Colombia), the responsibilities put on women perpetuate how they are treated in times of conflict. In times of armed conflict, rather than becoming actors, they become “specific military objects,” (Meertens and Stoller, 2001) especially for the enemy. Unfortunately, women are subject to torture, rape, and other forms of brutality as it is a tactic used by the enemy as it plays a “symbolic role in ‘destroying the seed’ of the hated enemy” (Meertens and Stoller 133). Women happen to be the specific targets during times of violence and war because of the dynamic that already exists on the communal level. It gets recycled in times of conflict but in the wrong way. That is to say, because women are considered the protectors of the cultural identity, killing them off or harming them, or desecrating their worth, symbiotically tarnishes the “identity and honor of the enemy community” (Meertens and Stoller 133).

Children also have distinct expectations and experiences with the Colombian culture. Colombian children are seen as those who need guidance. However, there is a lot invested in them as they are the future. Alongside women, children are considered the most vulnerable group in the community. In the nuclear setting, a child’s role is to learn from the parents and develop while being instilled with the important values in the community. In times of increased violence, these roles and expectations shift. In times of conflict, that is when we see a chasm between the experience of boys and girls particularly. There is a drastic, unfortunate shift. In conflict, particularly with what ensued during Plan Colombia and the dynamic that is created with the cartel structure, we see displace young boys taking on the role of errand boys and frontline combatant soldiers (Charles 2021). As young as 12, young boys are utilizing weapons to carry out the motives of their leaders. It is not the same for young girls. Rape and other forms of conflict-related sexual violence are carried out against young girls as a means to destabilize the community (WL Report Colombia 2004). Children are the most prized and valued group in the Colombian communities. Once they are harmed in any way, the enemy has leverage.

The intersections and responsibilities that exist within the nuclear environment of Colombian communities manifest in a different light in times of conflict. The experiences of the different groups change drastically in times of conflict. The roles men, women and children play are re-ordered to fit the current dynamic (i.e. wartime vs. peacetime).