An Exploratory Study on Social Entrepreneurship, Empowerment and Peace Process. The Case of Colombian Women Victims of the Armed Conflict

Abstract

The Colombian armed conflict is the oldest internal confrontation in the entire American continent and has placed Colombia as one of the countries in the world with the highest volume of internally displaced persons. There are many factors that influence the possibility of suffering violence in this situation, but one of the main factors is undoubtedly gender. In addition, the destruction of the productive fabric and the impoverishment of conflict zones are a difficult reality when it comes to undertaking initiatives. Women not resigning themselves to this state of affairs, by their own initiative, work to go from passive victims to survivors and agents of change. To achieve this, they hold on to social entrepreneurship as a possible vehicle and alternative for empowerment and personal development, the union with other women and the support of their families’ being crucial factors to reach this purpose. In this context, two research questions have been raised, related to the role of social entrepreneurship in women’s development and in building peace. These questions are answered by obtaining empirical data from key informants (seven personal interviews with Colombian women victims of the conflict from different departments who have promoted social entrepreneurship projects). The interviews were conducted from September to November 2019. Thus, one of the main conclusions is that entrepreneurship alone is not enough; State involvement is also necessary if the effects of the work carried out by these women are to reach a greater number of people and be more durable, contributing to economic and social progress and, therefore, to peace processes.

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