"Femininity" and "Memory" in Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration Programmes in Colombia

This article seeks to show the ways in which programs in Colombia have an impact on the construction of the memory of female ex-combatants of guerrilla groups. It revolves around the following question: To what extent is the discourse on reintegration and participation surrounding the official frameworks of memory adequate to the task of making visible the voices of female ex-combatants who participated in guerrilla organizations? In addressing this question, the article highlights two influential aspects in the construction of memory of women who were part of Colombia’s armed conflict: On the one hand, women want to remember their experiences as combatants, and, on the other hand, in the phase of “reintegration” into civil life, women are confronted with expectations on femininity, which traverse their identity. The article suggests that it is important to broaden the analytical frameworks that define the role of the formation of memory of ex-combatants and take into account the processes of agency advanced by former female fighters and their role as political subjects. [publisher]