table expanded . In November 2013 , two high-level women were appointed as negotiators . Furthermore , in an unprecedented move , a subcommission on gender was established in the peace delegation in September 2014 . The subcommission worked through texts that had already been finalized , introducing recommendations for gendered language as well as specific substantial gender issues , such as sexual violence . These recommendations were then taken into consideration in the main negotiations , although there was no guarantee that they would be included .
In 2014 , in another attempt to include representation of various groups affected by the conflict in the peace accords , delegations of victims ( 60 % of whom were women ) traveled to Havana to meet with the negotiating teams . These delegations gave voice to their various traumatic experiences , including impacts of sexual violence in armed conflict . This humanized the victim experience for the negotiators and ensured their renewed commitment to end the conflict ; as a direct result of the victim delegations , the FARC initiated a process of acknowledgement and apology .
After all of this input , the peace agreement was completed and signed on 26 September 2016 and presented to the Colombian people through a plebiscite referendum on 2 October 2016 , in which they had the opportunity to accept or reject the peace deal with a " Yes " or " No " vote . In a shocking turn of events , " No " won with 50.21 % of the vote . The vote was largely split along urban / rural lines , with rural communities who have remained more deeply affected by the ongoing violence voting " Yes ." Ironically , the inclusion of a gender perspective in the accords also led to some groups – namely , conservatives and Evangelicals – voting " No ," since they feared that language about reparations to people of “ diverse sexual orientations and identities ” was a threat to traditional family structure .
Following the rejection of the peace deal , the opposition , religious leaders , and other civil society groups opposed to the deal submitted some 400 proposed changes ; the Colombian government and the FARC then reviewed and agreed on several modifications to the original agreement . The revised deal maintained the original focus on gender , addressing inequalities and victimizations in the conflict , as well as opportunities for political participation for the FARC . However , the new agreement will no longer be entirely incorporated into Colombia ’ s constitution , and the FARC will now be required to hand over assets for victim reparations . An amended peace deal was put before Colombia ’ s Congress and passed . The FARC and the government of Colombia signed a final peace agreement on 24 November 2016 .
Although a gender perspective was incorporated in the final Havana agreement , implementation will remain a challenge . One of the main difficulties in implementation is providing a reintegration process that addresses the needs of both men and women . Some 3000 of the approximately 7500 FARC combatants to demobilize from the recent peace process will be women . Approximately 40 % of the FARC are women , and most joined voluntarily to fight as equals with men , obtaining positions of military and political authority . While some have faced sexual violence or forced abortions within the ranks , others found gender equality within the FARC . Yet , Colombian society at large still stigmatizes many of these women for fighting instead of pursuing more domestic roles .
Between 2003-2012 , about 20 % of guerrilla participants in government reintegration programs in Colombia were women . However , past disarmament , demobilization and reintegration ( DDR ) programs have tended to stereotype women leaving guerrilla groups , offering limited domestic types of job training for female ex-combatants . Government reintegration support was not marketed effectively to these women , encouraging them to demobilize in order to " feel like a woman
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