DECOLONIAL ECOFEMINISM: THE PEDAGOGICAL ROLE OF RURAL WOMEN IN THE DEFENSE OF TERRITORY IN COLOMBIA

Abstract

This reflective academic essay examines the pedagogical and political role of rural Colombian women in the defense of the territory from a decolonial ecofeminist perspective, an imperative approach given the current civilizational and ecological crisis that threatens life in the territories. The analysis adopts a hermeneutic approach that values subjectivity and lived experiences, engaging with various authors to unveil the interconnection between gender oppression and the predatory exploitation of nature, thus moving beyond simplistic narratives. The reflection shows that women, far from being passive victims, exercise a political agency of "re-existence" based on the notion of body-territory. "Pedagogy of the Earth" is identified as a transformative practice where care, food sovereignty, and ancestral memory become vital tools of resistance against the advance of the extractivist and patriarchal model. It is concluded that recognizing these knowledges is an ethical imperative that demands the radical transformation of public policies and institutional structures to stop commodifying the land. Finally, it is established that without the protection of environmental defenders and the validation of their pedagogy, the construction of sustainable territorial peace in Colombia remains unattainable.