Desafíos y Avances: Integración de la Mujer en las Fuerzas Militares y el Derecho Humanitario

Abstract

This working paper examines the symbolic contributions of women in the military within the Colombian Armed Forces and their effect on the elimination of gender stereotypes, using international humanitarian law as an analytical framework. The main topic addressed focuses on how the presence of women in a historically male-dominated institution has generated a cultural and perceptual shift, both within the organization itself and in society at large. From a labor perspective, the study seeks to demonstrate that the incorporation of women into operational military roles not only fulfills mandates of equity, but also produces a symbolic impact that contributes to the redefinition of the concept of security and to the modernization of military doctrine (Tirado & Pachón, 2024).

In this context, the specific objectives of this research focus on: (1) examining how women in the military have become role models and points of reference for future generations; (2) assessing how their involvement has influenced public perception and media representation; and (3) linking these symbolic contributions to the principles of inclusion and non-discrimination under international humanitarian law. Accordingly, and in order to achieve these objectives, a theoretical and qualitative analytical methodology was employed, grounding the research in a review of specialized literature, the key arguments presented in the discourse of Lieutenant Colonel Paola Andrea Velásquez Cardona, and the conceptual framework of the sociology of law and feminist theory.

Among its most significant conclusions, this study shows that the contributions of women in the military extend beyond operational roles, as they generate a symbolic effect that challenges conventional gender roles and strengthens the military institution. In this way, amid a transformation of the female role, women are established as an essential component in reinforcing the Armed Forces within a framework of social and legal progress.