The Gender Perspective in Latin American Truth Commissions

This article analyses how Truth Commissions (TCs) in Latin America have incorporated a gender perspective in their founding mandates and final reports. The aim is to understand the extent to which these mechanisms—central to transitional justice—have shifted from an initial focus on sexual violence against women towards broader and more intersectional understandings of gender-based harm. Drawing on a mixed-method approach, the study examines fifteen Latin American TCs, from Argentina’s National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons (1983) to Colombia’s Truth Commission (2016–2022). The first, quantitative part explores the material presence of women within the TCs, focusing on their formal participation as commissioners—the highest level of institutional representation. Preliminary data indicate that, on average, women occupied around one-fifth of all commissioner positions, with a gradual increase since the Peruvian case (2001–2003). The second, qualitative part employs Qualitative Content Analysis (Schreier, 2013) to analyse the mandates and final reports using a hybrid (deductive–inductive) coding system. Across six analytical dimensions—gender perspective, intersectional approach, sexual violence, other forms of gender-based violence, gender-related recommendations, and inclusive language—the study investigates how gender has been conceptualised, institutionalised, and developed in each commission. We contend that examining both the representation of women and the quality of gender analysis provides a more comprehensive understanding of how TCs foster more inclusive narratives of truth and justice. By identifying regional trends and methodological patterns, this research aims to highlight the unequal integration of gender into transitional justice processes in Latin America and to explore new comparative pathways for understanding its transformative potential.