Who does this serve? A gendered perspective on perpetual barriers to reintegration in Sierra Leone and Colombia

This research examines gendered barriers to reintegration experienced by female ex-combatants, focussing on the cases of Sierra Leone and Colombia, two post-conflict contexts separated by over a decade yet facing strikingly similar challenges. Despite the adoption of international frameworks on women's rights and recommendations made by academics and practitioners, barriers to women’s reintegration including access to childcare, education, and vocational training remain inadequately addressed. This paper interrogates the disconnect between rhetorical commitments of institutions and their outcomes for female ex-combatants. An analysis of institutional statements points to confusion around parties' responsibilities for fundamental reintegration services and the rights of female ex-combatants. Taking an intersectional approach, this research further highlights where such discrepancies are particularly acute for specific groups of female ex-combatants. By focussing on this disconnect, this research highlights the limits of institutional will and the symbolic nature of many gender mainstreaming efforts. Taking a comparative approach, this paper analyses official statements, media reports, and archival materials to assess how post-conflict gender policies are introduced and implemented. This highlights how recognition of differentiated needs persistently takes precedence over comprehensive and meaningful implementation. The findings of this paper urge a shift from symbolic commitments towards transformative practices which genuinely address structural barriers to reintegration, contributing to critical debates on gendered approaches to peacebuilding and symbolic policymaking.