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When nightmares
become reality, when dreams evaporate and the sparkle disappears from the eye.
When the significance of love, is distorted and takes on the face of a tyrant…
When the joy of living is confused with the familiarity of death... Innocence is
lost... When hope is shattered and faith is gone, it is time to cry out in pain,
to lift our voice and appeal to the conscience.
How can we avoid
falling into the temptation of distracting our attention, of protecting our
heart by focusing on figures and statistics, instead of confronting the harsh
reality, a living, breathing reality? The blood, the pain, the gasps, the
numbness, the stench, the tears, the worn-out cries… Sadly, the voice of
reality is lost in the avalanche of figures, cases, studies and indifference.
Colombia, [is] a country
with a dynamic culture and an increasing level of progress. With modern cities
and thriving scientific and academic centres; yet, a country where violence,
with beastly brutality has cut the hope and dreams of her women, shredding into
pieces their dignity, their integrity and breaking the wings of their freedom.
For the past fifty
years, her society has been enveloped by one of the planet’s most difficult and
sadly, often forgotten, conflicts. Colombians are confronted with the “terrorist
threat” of illegal armed groups represented by the communist guerrillas (the
FARC and ELN), self-defence groups or paramilitaries, and powerful gangs of
“common” criminals, who struggle and kill among themselves, as well as fight
against the Colombian armed forces and police in a dirty war intensified by the
lucrative business of drug-trafficking, kidnappings and extortion. More than 3
million Colombians[1]
have been forced to leave their homes and land in order to save their life,
making Colombia “the country with the largest number of internal refugees, over
Iraq, Sudan and Somalia.”
[2] This is in addition to other – but not any less chilling
statistics – regarding the number of landmines, targeted murders, massacres and
the many other horrific actions directly attributed to this subject. The cost
in human life is immeasurable.
Today, there are
women whose very existence is marked by the cruelty of war. They experience
abuse, rape, mistreatment, forced conscription, mutilation, sexual slavery,
forced abortions and sterilizations, abandonment and torture, among other
humiliations, which lead to affirm that in Colombia, a woman’s body is a
battlefield.
I cannot pretend to present a
detailed study on such a complex theme, however, I consider it a moral right,
for those like myself, have had the opportunity to touch their hands, see their
faces, and dry their tears, to attempt making the problem visible.
In
venturing to appropriately consider the effects of the armed conflict upon
women and girls, a brief glance at a theoretical framework is required. From
one side we must consider the individual as such, and from another, look into
the social and historical environment in which that individual is located. As
Donny Meertens pointed out “Violence is an extremely broad concept which has
multiple definitions and significance, beginning with the most intimate and
individual experiences related to the violation of the human body, all the way
to the public and collective contexts of war”[3].
According to this perspective, we can infer that the acts of violence do not
only have a visible effect on the body and properties of an individual, but go
beyond the physical realm and the environment, affecting an individual’s
identity, his very being, and the way he relates to others.
Following this idea,
it is wise to give a quick glance at Colombian history. A history overshadowed
by violence, as described by Gutiérrez de Pineda[4],
which resulted in the defeat of the three human groups involved in the
countries’ conquest. The Spaniards, who spent all the treasures they had
obtained, in pointless European wars and in the end were even more impoverished;
the native and his culture which was practically destroyed, with only a few
survivors left in remote regions of the country, and the Mestizo – the mix of
these two groups – which has become the principal participant of national
violence. This last group was composed by individuals rarely conceived out of
love, as they were usually a result of biological impulses of the conquering
Spaniards. The Mestizo was unappreciated by his father and rejected by his
mother, who viewed him as the undesired result of the violence she experienced.
The offspring of these relationships are therefore living proof of something
undesirable, something that diminished the value of a human being, causing even
to this day, millions of men and women to live a life which displays evidence
of a worrying lack of identity and constant search for approval. If we extend
this tragic analysis, violence cannot be viewed as a simple result of the
current armed conflict, but as a product of a history which has caused violence,
mainly against woman, to be deeply rooted in the midst of Colombian society.
Individual
dissatisfaction of needs, the lack of having someone, of belonging, of being
accepted creates an enormous frustration which releases aggressive behaviour,
and pleasure is therefore experienced in forms that are maniac, accelerated and
not within the boundaries of what would be understood as a normal way of
living. Organized and systematic productivity, protective and welcomed
discipline, are practically unknown, resulting in group competition and rivalry
and not in cooperation and general consent. Life therefore becomes a continual
battle, a fight of loser’s (almost all), against a tiny elite, of which much of
the national future depends. The unsatisfied individual only pays attention to
himself. He needs, and therefore does nothing more than search and ask or take
for himself, what he considers to be love. Yet, due to his own condition, he
has a limited capacity to understand the real magnitude and significance of this
word.
Understanding that
today’s conflict is not foreign to this historical context, but is in fact a
result of a process in which individuals have been continually devaluated,
relationships and roles within the family have been distorted and consequently
society weakened, gives a clearer background on which to consider the scourge
of violence and its consequence on women and girls in Colombia. Woman and
girls, whose participation in the war is not limited to being a victim, but on
many occasions takes the role of aggressor.
Thousands of young
girls are part of the illegal armed forces. Having them involved in the
guerrilla or paramilitary groups, is one of the most appalling forms of violence
based on gender, for being a member of an illegal armed group, a girl is exposed
to every other form of violence imaginable: excessive physical labour that is
also inappropriate for her development, cruel punishment, sexual slavery and
mutilation, exposure to hunger, cold, sickness, loneliness and fear. Many
times girls become part of these groups because they are obligated by force to
do so. Other times, they do it in search of approval and protection. Whatever
the case, the child strives to become the ideal soldier, as viewed by her
commander, for this is the security which will redeem her situation, but
approval is only obtained through strict obedience.
It is heartbreaking
to hear about the initiation of children into the cruel life of the illegal
armed groups. The following account of a 14 year old girl, reveals how she
became involved in the paramilitary…
I had to kill a lady
[...] I cried and said to the commanding officer: “My captain, I can’t do this,
I am not going to kill anyone”. He answered me saying: “If you don’t kill her,
then you must die” [...] And, well I did it. I went and killed her [...] I don’t
know if the lady was an informant or what, but it made me very sad; because I
was not accustomed to doing this. I killed her and after that I was not longer
afraid of anything. Now it is routine, it’s like addiction to cigarettes, after
one you can’t stop. This is how my addiction to terminating human life began […]
Once you have to kill a person and cut off their fingers, carve them up or chop
them into pieces, it becomes like a drug. The paramilitaries are unrelenting. I
had to castrate men. You put a plastic bag over their head so that they cannot
see what you are doing, so that they only feel the pain, then you castrate them,
slice them up, and then you shoot them when they are dying because of the pain…[5]
The cruelty is worse
than any description I can give. Such experiences create deep psychological
damage that in many cases is irreparable. Without doubt, the greatest damage
inflicted by the illegal armed groups in Colombia is the creation of a group of
individuals, in this case women and girls, who from their childhood or
adolescence are obligated to become familiar with cruelty and death,
transforming them into adults who because of their distorted psychological and
social structures, will turn any social organization into a chaos of violence,
with few probabilities of normalcy.
However, the impact
of the violence is not limited to the more than eleven thousand children,[6]
partaking[7]
as soldiers or the thousands of women who are carrying weapons.
For each person who is killed as a result of the violence and for each person
who is actively fighting, there are many more who are struggling to overcome it,
supporting the combined weight of the physical and mental problems that arise as
a consequence of it. The population living in the rural areas, are often
perceived by one of the illegal armed actors, as sympathizer of the other,
being therefore stigmatized and forced to flee. They generally establish
themselves in marginal urban neighbourhoods, confronting difficult conditions,
deprivation and high indices of criminality. Displacement is another form of
violence and marks one for life.
Ana Cecilia[8],
was raised as a country girl in the department of Caquetá. At an early age she
was confronted by the horrors of war...
We were good
people […] but the Paras arrived. There were many and they were armed. I was
thirteen years old […] They told my Dad he had to leave or they would take my
eighteen year old brother, but he refused […] So they killed my brother and
humiliated us in ways I would prefer not to remember. They burned our house. We
left with nothing and ended up living in another district. But one cannot hide
nor escape from this violence […] There, the guerrilla arrived and history
repeated itself. Those people stole the little bit of dignity that I had […] we
had to flee once again. When I was 19, in San José, I met Juan[9],
the father of my children […] we worked in the field. On Sundays we would take
our products to the market 5 hours away […] But difficult times returned […] The
guerrilla made a camp a few kilometres from our house. It was a nightmare.
Feeling very afraid we decided to come to the city […] we began our journey,
taking nothing with us, fearing we would get stopped, because to move you need
their consent […] It was a miracle that we were able to escape with 40 Thousand
pesos, earned from the crop we’d sold […] After a lot of detours, we arrived in
Cazuca and all we could afford was a shack […] We came here to avoid loosing
Juan to the guerrilla, but we still lost him, as the next year he abandoned us
for another woman. The children want to return to the countryside, but I fear
returning. These people kill […] many who have dared to return, have been
chopped up in pieces and children are still being recruited. […] Here there are
also dangers and although I try to erase those events from my memory […]
sadness and fear own me. Each time I close my eyes I remember everything and
fear my story will repeat itself.[10]
Consciously or not, the majority of
people use the phrase “to be displaced”, which suggests that displacement
is something permanent, something that forms part of the person’s identity. This
is more than just a curious use of semantics, it is a particular way of speaking
that reflects the reality of displacement in Colombia, as a condition that
continues to leave scars on the people for the rest of their existence. For a
woman, the condition of displacement usually means widowhood or in many cases
becoming also a victim of abandonment, furthered by the consequences of being
uprooted. Such events have a direct impact on the family dynamics, creating a
trans-generational chain of abandonment, which limits the possibilities of
complete development and appears to condemn Colombia to a culture of aggression
and basic survival.
Continuing on in
this macabre
account of the different forms of violence and their impact on women and family,
we arrive at the practice of kidnapping and forced disappearances. This problem
is so large and terrible that at the end of the nineties and the beginning of
2000 Colombia had the highest figures in the world. Although no one knows for
certain when the horror of kidnapping began, it is certain that all of the
illegal organizations have used this tactic for economic or political gain,
triggering the multiplication of this plague in the last few decades.
Kidnapping has managed to sink its tentacles into thousands of Colombian
families, terrorizing, intimidating, creating feelings of guilt, disempowerment
and submission which leads the victims, those deprived of freedom and their
families, to undergo suffering that causes disruption in their normal
functioning, thoughts, emotions and actions.[11]
Sadly, the discourse that prevails
is one that refers to statistics, and although this is useful, as it is
necessary to have a reference on the magnitude of the phenomenon, it locks [in] the
danger of looking with “only one eye” at reality, causing a flippant arrival at
solutions, causes and consequences without taking into account that the
official figures rarely reflect the degree of the problem in reality.
Between 2002 and 2006, an average
of one woman a day died in Colombia due to the socio-political violence.[12]
Girls are sexually violated before
reaching the age of 6 years old. The majority of the cases reported are between
5 and 14 years old. The reported rate is 200.6 for every 100 thousand
inhabitants.[13]
44.3% of the displaced women are
victims of physical assault inflicted by their spouse.[14]
It is estimated that
90% of the victims of war are actually civilians, the majority of these being
women and children.[15]
But Colombia, in the middle of
these tears and pain, has also stories of hope, courage, dignity and strength.
Stories of women, who in spite of adversity assumed responsibility for their
lives and fought tirelessly to create better conditions for them and their
families, developing new roles, confronting the challenges that life has placed
in their path, clearly reflecting the fundamental role that women play in
providing a solution to the problems in Colombian society.
There are hundreds of women who
have shown resilience that excels and inspires, they are enterprising, happy,
and hardworking. These women believe that through sewing seeds of forgiveness
and reconciliation it is possible to break the cycle of violence and death.
Isabel[16],
is only one of these examples. Having lost her father and her spouse, she
strived to overcome her condition of victimization. As the head of her family,
today she is the owner of a Tamale business, which not only provides for the
needs of her family but has also allowed her to create jobs, which generate
stability for other families. Lucy[17],
after the assassination of her brother was forced to leave her childhood home
and live in displacement in one of the belts of misery in Bogotá. There she
struggles to overcome fear, but has incredibly recovered her dream and is
working hard to open her own sewing business. She daily sows in the hearts of
her children that “we will never stop trying, there are more of us who dream
of peace, that those who create war”.
The dynamics of the armed conflict
destroy the social fabric in such a way that beyond the peace negotiations,
demobilization agreements, reintegration or whatever way sought to end this
tragic reality, it has and will leave profound consequences at a structural
level in Colombian society. The roles of girl and woman have been distorted,
creating a trans-generational effect that if not stopped, will lock this
country into a vicious circle of violence and aggression. The aggressor
today, was the victim yesterday. Therefore, all actions taken have immense
implications, as Dr. Francisco Cobos clearly explains, “… Violence is not
just an individual event, but is part of a chain – generation to generation –
consecutive abandonment, increasing aggression, depressed lives, poor
productivity, poor self-esteem, unfruitful dreams are and will be transformed
into acts of violence against those who are weaker…”[18]
During the past few years the
Government, development agencies and community based organizations, have
commenced programs and legislation in favour of the rights of women in Colombia,
under a perspective of gender, which although necessary, has not been a
sufficient response. If we conclude that the problem is structural, the solution
must consider looking at the individual and the systems of which he is an active
part, focusing therefore on the family as the basic unit of the social
structure established by God. The family is where belief systems, values and
principles are taught, the foundation where all actions and interactions between
members of society begin. Therefore, in reconstructing any social fabric it is
fundamental that our efforts pay attention to this institution, understanding
that the equal value of gender is not synonymous with identical role. In this
order, we must strive to assure that families and the relations which are
birthed within them, favour among their members true emotional maturity and
personal realization, thus allowing their productive participation in society.
Colombian woman play a key role in
repairing the structures of their communities. Having as a starting point the
discovery of her identity as an individual made in the divine image,
development programs should be founded not in what she will become but on that
which she already is. Colombian women require a change that transforms their
heart and begins the extensive process of granting true freedom. Freedom to
choose options and look at possibilities, allowing her to discover her value and
understand why she was created; providing her with recognition of the potential
for self-development through a renewed understanding, eventually establishing
renewed patterns of thinking and acting, for only such a transformation can
transcend biological, relational and cultural aspects.
A problem so complex that
encompasses society as a whole must be approached from a broad and
comprehensive perspective. Its solution requires harmonization of all current
services in the social sector, including the fundamental role of the church,
development organizations as well as the private sector. The Colombian National
Government programs need to be a combination of strategies for democratic
security and sustainable development, focusing on enterprise and confidence
building, as well as the creation and establishment of an integrated national
system for family protection. By supporting such kind of efforts, the direct
role of the International community can become fundamental in contributing to
restore dignity for family, women and girls, in Colombia.
It is definitely time to act. There
is not other problem in Colombia as serious or as all-encompassing as violence
and its tremendous repercussions on women and family. From this moment onward,
you are part of this story. There is a moral imperative that surpasses all other
goals and that is, to not only feel compassion and concern, but to contribute
actively to ending a tragic reality. Two generations are immersed and we
already see that the next generation is involved, in the hatred, the cruelty,
the pain, the vulnerability, the anguish…
The question is…Will we arrive on
time?
Endnotes:
[1]
ACNUR. Global trends 2008.
Annual Report. [2]
Idem. [3]
(qtd. In) Mujeres en la guerra: De la desigualdad a la autonomía
política, CODHES 2000:16 [4]
Gutiérrez de Pineda, V: Familia y Cultura en Colombia. Inst. Col. De
Cultura, Bogotá, 1968. [5]
HISTORIA DE LA NINEZ EN A.L., Ritos de Paso en tiempos de guerra: el
reclutamiento de niños, niñas y jóvenes en el conflicto armado en
Colombia, Otto Vergara, Julio 2007:587. Ibid, p. 150.
[6]
Defensoría del Pueblo, Human Rights Watch, Coalición contra la
vinculación de niños, niñas y jóvenes al conflicto armado en Colombia.
2003 [7]
Colombia’s Interinstitutional Program for attention and protection of
children linked to the armed conflict, defines these as all minors which
participate in actions of war oriented by an illegal armed group,
developing intelligence, logistics or combat.
[8]
The name has been changed in attention to CDA Colombia child and data
protection policy.
[9]
The name has been changed in atttention to CDA Colombia child and data
protection policy.
[10]
Testimony, CDA Colombia - Social Development Program, workgroup, June
2009.
[11]
País Libre (1.995 c.) Cuando el Secuestrado Vuelve a Casa.
Santafé de Bogotá: Ediciones Armor International.
[12]
Comisión Colombiana de Juristas. (CCJ) The comission defines
social-political violence as the frame in which violations to human
rights and infractions to the humanitarian law in Colombia occur,
including threats against a persons life, integrity and liberty. (qtd.
in) MEMORIA DE MUJERES. Mesa de trabajo mujer y conflicto armado.
[13]
Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses – Centro de
Referencia Nacional sobre Violencia. Forensis 2004. ob. cit.
p. 165. [14] Defensoría del Pueblo.
Colombia. comunicado de prensa 1174. 2006.
[15]
Naciones Unidas, Mujer y Conflictos armados - nota del documento
"Examen y evaluación de la aplicación de la Plataforma de Acción de
Beijing: informe del Secretario General" (E/CN.6/2000/PC/2).
[16]
Testimony, Social Development Program, workgroup
– CDA Colombia, June 2009 [17]
Testimony, Social Development Program, workgroup
– CDA Colombia, June 2009
[18] Francisco Cobos M.D. Abandono y Agresión. Fundación Afecto, Bogotá,
1995.
Bibliography:
1.
Interviews and Documents. Workgroup. Communitarian Development Program.
CDA Colombia. 2009.
2.
Statistics. Documentation Center, Research and Development Department.
CDA Colombia. 2009.
3.
ACNUR. Global Trends 2008. Annual Report.
4.
Mujeres en la guerra: De
la desigualdad a la autonomía política, CODHES 2000:16
5.
Francisco Cobos M.D. Abandono y Agresión.
Fundación Afecto, Bogotá, 1995.
6.
Gutiérrez de Pineda, V: Familia y Cultura en
Colombia. Inst. Col. De Cultura, Bogotá, 1968.
7.
HISTORIA DE LA NINEZ EN
A.L., Ritos de Paso en tiempos de guerra: el reclutamiento de niños, niñas y
jóvenes en el conflicto armado en Colombia, Otto Vergara, Julio 2007
8.
Defensoría del Pueblo, Human Rights Watch, Coalición contra la
vinculación de niños, niñas y jóvenes al conflicto armado en Colombia. Informe
2003.
9.
UNICEF. Programa interinstitucional de atención y protección a la
niñez desvinculada del conflicto armado. Informe “la niñez y el conflicto
armado”. 2006.
10.
País Libre (1.995 c.) Cuando el
Secuestrado Vuelve a Casa. Santafé de Bogotá: Ediciones Armor International
11.
Comisión Colombiana de
Juristas. (CCJ). MEMORIA DE MUJERES. Workgroup, Women and Armed Conflict.
Ediciones Antropos. Bogotá Colombia 2006.
12.
Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses – National
Center of Reference about Violence. Forensis 2004.
13.
Defensoría del Pueblo. Colombia. Press release 1174. 2006.
14.
Naciones Unidas, Mujer y Conflictos armados - nota del documento "Examen y evaluación de la aplicación de
la Plataforma de Acción de Beijing: informe del Secretario General"
(E/CN.6/2000/PC/2).
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