Neoliberalism as a development model of capitalist accumulation has deepened the relations of domination that reinforce patriarchy and marginalization of millions of people, mostly women.
In Colombia, the consequences have been severe, with negative effects on the lives and rights of women, because the humanitarian crisis in Colombia as a result of the social and armed conflict, has led to increased vulnerability conditions for them, vulnerabilities which they have been used by the private sector and governments to advance the deepening of the neoliberal model.
Not only has used the armed conflict as an argument to discredit and stigmatize social protest has also been systematically murdered union, defenders human rights leaders, social leaders, which weakened organizational processes. With this, terror among those who tried to exercise the right to social and political participation and social protest was generated. Colombia is one of the most dangerous places to be a trade unionist or human rights advocate countries.
Forzado1 displacement is part of the result of the barbarism of the Colombian ruling class has used state terrorism to release land to implement its policy. With neoliberalism transnational corporations continue to use paramilitary groups for the same purpose. In addition to stripping the land to peasant communities disarticulation of rural, necessary organizational processes generated to face economic globalization, embodied in the free trade agreements, expansion of unskilled labor in cities, work labor mostly female extreme conditions to ensure their families’ basic life limitations.
Neoliberal reforms privatized health services, increased the retirement age of men and women and more flexible labor rights. Under most vulnerable, especially women and victims of armed conflict, have taken the basic care of their families, most will not access pensión2 and only linked to the world of work in conditions of informality.
The labor reform extended the day shift; which reduced overtime pay. Since then, women work longer hours and earn less. In addition, it reduced penalties for unfair dismissal and took the oversupply of unskilled labor of women who know their rights. Under these conditions, the labor supply has played with the needs of women, both urban and rural impoverished victims of armed conflict. All lose, only win the oligarchy.
Loss of employment (employer (a) -empleada) uses traditional female practices and households to install the type of textile maquilas: women work in their homes with false argument to be independent, and are paid I piecework. This breaks with work schedules, increased costs of working, falsifies the employment relationship impossible -Making any organization- and generates an intense exploitation of female labor, which also occurs in agribusiness branches and flower crops and fruits.
Income generation in the current model of development and in the context of armed conflict as a means to access services that were prior rights (health, education, etc.), has turned women into the weakest link of neoliberalism. With or without an economic crisis, workers fail to improve their material living conditions, do not enjoy rights that previously existed, and have no conditions to develop their capabilities.
Neoliberalism has degraded the lives of women, as well as requiring compliance with their traditional roles subjected to conditions of greater capitalist exploitation in the workplace. Therefore reproduces discrimination against women, in favor of the capital increase. The immediate consequence is the feminization of poverty. The only way out is the organization of the workers.
1. Colombia, ranks second with the highest number of victims of forced displacement: more than six million people, 80% are women and children.
2. To access the pension a woman must have contributed for 1200 weeks, ie have had formal employment relationship for at least 25 years and have 57 years of age. Most rural women and popular sectors have not had formal employment relationship.
By Victoria Sandino Palmera, Peace Delegation FARC-EP
