Talk description
Are political parties born of armed conflict more gender-equal than parties of a similar political orientation not originating in armed conflict? This talk will examine the effects of war on the feminist behaviors of political parties. A total of 93 speeches and communiqués from four ideologically similar political parties in Colombia (FARC, Alianza Verde) and Turkey (HDP and CHP) are analyzed. The data collected targets four key areas: gendered violence, labor equality, political equality, and social equality. Ultimately, this work advances a theory of "war as process", reconceptualizing war not only as destructive but also as potentially generative of more gender-equal power relations in society.
About the speaker
Vierelina Fernández is the 2024-2026 Postdoctoral Associate at Rutgers University’s Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS). Her work focuses on feminist IR, gendered security, insurgency, and Latin America-Middle East comparative politics. Her book manuscript is tentatively titled Insurgent Feminism in Global Revolution: Lessons from Colombian and Kurdish Guerrilla Fighters. Vierelina obtained her Ph.D. in International Relations from Florida International University (FIU). At Rutgers, she teaches “Intro to Latin America” and “Politics and Violence in Latin America”.