Feminist Movements, Knowledge Production and the Circulation of 'Gender Experts' in Colombia

Recent demonstrations against the supposed "gender ideology" during the discussions on the peace agreements in Colombia have illustrated persistent resistance to gender equality policies. While we observe in this country abundant feminist knowledge production on development, growing numbers of persons and organisations working on gender issues, and legislative changes in the field of women's rights, how can we explain this persistent resistance and the limited implementation of gender equality policies? Based on the results of a research on "Gender experts and gender expertise" funded by the Swiss SNF during three years in Colombia, Mali, Nepal and headquarters of International Organisations, this presentation will shed light on the results of the fieldwork in Colombia. It will discuss how feminist knowledge on development issues is been produced since several decades in this country and explore the tensions in the definitions, uses and meanings of the concept of gender during its circulation between local, national and transnational spaces. It will explore the circulation of "gender experts" between feminist and women's organisations, international and local NGOs, multilateral and bilateral cooperation organisations, and the academy. It will conclude by some reflexions on what authoritative power these different persons hold, according to their position in relation to the coloniality of power, in the context of conflict and preparation of post-conflict that governs the Colombian field.