Between Gains and the Barriers. Approaches to Gender Equality in the Public Policy of Rural Women in Colombia

In 2002, Colombia adopted the Rural Women's Law as a result of the demands of peasant, indigenous and Afro-Colombian women for their recognition as autonomous subjects and their inclusion in the processes of design and implementation of the rural development policies. After 16 years, the Colombian state has been unable not only to comply with the provisions of the law, but also to address the gender inequalities that affect rural women. The explanation 1 propose is that, although there is a concern to incorporate gender issues in the public agenda of rural development, the approach that has prevailed so far is that of positive action that limits the discussions about the systems and processes that produce and reproduce gender inequalities.