Gendering the border effect: the double impact of Colombian insecurity and the Venezuelan refugee crisis.

In the Colombian–Venezuelan borderlands, the reconfiguration of armed group presence and mass migration create and reinforce conditions of high violence and risk. Against this backdrop, we ask: What are the gendered security implications of the double crisis in the borderlands? Based on fieldwork in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Third World Quarterly Vol. 41; no. 7; pp. 1122 - 1141
Main Authors: Zulver, Julia, Idler, Annette
Format: Article
Published: Taylor & Francis Ltd Jul2020
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Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:In the Colombian–Venezuelan borderlands, the reconfiguration of armed group presence and mass migration create and reinforce conditions of high violence and risk. Against this backdrop, we ask: What are the gendered security implications of the double crisis in the borderlands? Based on fieldwork in four regions along the border, this article argues that the border effect is gendered; the very factors that coalesce to produce this effect exacerbate existing gendered power dynamics, particularly as these relate to gender-based violence. Accordingly, this article demonstrates the specific ways in which the border – as a facilitator, deterrent, magnet and/or disguise – reinforces experiences of gendered insecurity in this region. The article finishes by outlining the implications for other international borderland settings.