Collective Political Capabilities: Women's Agency, Care and the Construction of Peace in Colombia

This paper aims to connect women’s community experiences in building peace and social cohesion in Colombia with political philosophy. It argues that i) the concept of collective political capabilities helps to understand, acknowledge, and value what women have been doing in areas affected by armed conflict; ii) there are ways to explore this concept in relation to women and what has been referred to as a feminine approach to action and thought in a non-essentialist sense; and iii) the fact that these capabilities, largely exhibited by women, are rarely recognized and can only be exercised by overcoming significant barriers represents a form of hermeneutic injustice. The research employed Participatory Action Research, hermeneutic methodology, and an intersectional approach. The main conclusions are that continued peacebuilding requires i) recognition of collective political capabilities, ii) the reevaluation of the feminization of care, and iii) the overcoming of hermeneutic injustice against women.