Resisting Backlash: Feminist Counter-Movements and the Survival of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Colombia

Across the globe, the rise of anti-gender politics has intensified the backlash against feminist gains in peace and security governance. Yet, scholarship on norm diffusion and localization has paid limited attention to how global norms such as the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda endure and adapt in hostile contexts. This paper examines how Colombian feminist movements have mobilized to defend and sustain the WPS Agenda amid growing anti-gender backlash. Drawing on fifteen semi-structured interviews with women activists and document analysis, it identifies six strategies of feminist counter-mobilization: coalition building, transnational advocacy, knowledge production, awareness raising, local implementation efforts, and political engagement. By foregrounding local agency, the study conceptualizes backlash not only as resistance to feminist norms but also as a catalyst for renewed activism, innovation, and solidarity. The Colombian case reveals how feminist actors transform defensive struggles into proactive norm entrepreneurship, ensuring that WPS principles persist and evolve in the face of contestation. The paper contributes to debates on feminist resistance, norm resilience, and the future of gender equality in global governance, offering insights into how feminist counter-movements sustain transformative agendas under pressure.