Issue and Opposition: Gang wars are common in Columbia. In September of 2006, a group of women in Pereira who were wives and partners of local gang members took action against their men. The women demanded that the men should give up their weapons to the city government and enroll in vocational training.
Dilemma Action: The wives and female partners of the gang members of Pereira declared that unless and until their male partners stopped in-fighting and gave up their weapons, they will not have sex with these men. The act of denying sex as a punishment is known as a Lysistratic tactic. Written by Aristophanes in around 411 BC, is an ancient Greek comedy that narrates how women by refusing sexual favors to their husbands and lovers – warriors fighting in the Peloponnesian War- were successful in ending it. The Peloponnesian War was fought between the Greek city-states and had great negative impacts on all parties in the War. Loss of wealth and life concerned the female protagonist of the play Lysistrata and other women. Persuaded by Lysistrata, women declare that they would refuse sex to their men if they did not stop fighting with each other. The comedy focuses much on the battle of wit and the battle between the sexes. Women in Pereira were organized by Julio Cesar Gomez. Gomez noted that Colombian men often participated in gang activities less out of monetary needs and more because being a gang member made them look attractive and powerful to the women. By refusing sex, the women of Pereira sent the message that they did not perceive killing and gang activities to be sexy or desirable. Adding creativity to this action, some of these protesting women released a rap song that summarized their reasons for refusing sex to their men.
Outcome: There was no immediate effect. The sources do not specify how long the sex strike lasted. However, the gang members got the message loud and clear. Their partners did not consider violence as a desirable characteristic in men. By 2010, the crime rates and gang violence in Periera had decreased substantially. It is hard to say to what extent the sex strike was responsible for this reduction but the action certainly created some impact on the Colombian gang members.