Human Rights in Colombia: 91% of the murders of women who are social leaders remain unpunished
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in 2019 murders against women defenders increased by about 50%, compared to 2018
A recent study presented in Colombia by the non-governmental program “Somos Defensores” (We are Defenders) denounced that the homicides perpetrated against women who are social leaders and human rights defenders in that country, reach no less than 91% of cases with impunity.
The aforementioned platform, in alliance with the National Summit of Women and Peace, Sisma Mujer — GPAZ: Gender in Peace Working Group and the International League of Women for Peace and Freedom; released the conclusions of the new report “Women Defenders voices of life and resistance”.
The research reports on the increase in attacks against women who defend life and territory amid risks linked to gender gaps. These crimes transcend the armed context and other dynamics of violence registered in Colombia.
The report, divided into three chapters, addresses how to interpret the violence that women, who are HHRR defenders face, amid the gap of discrimination on the basis of gender.
Another chapter talks about the responses the State provides regarding the guarantees for this work, its progress and blockades. A third chapter includes the attacks committed between 2013 and 2019, when 1,338 violent events were recorded, the threat being the most used form of violence against women who are defenders.
Through the Comprehensive Program of Guarantees for Women Leaders and Defenders, it indicates that conditions such as age, sexual orientation, economic situation and ethnic condition are factors that exacerbate gender vulnerability.
In this context, indigenous and Afro-Colombian women are at greater risk due to the discrimination, poverty and historical marginality to which they have been exposed. That, in addition to the impact of the armed conflict on their territories.
The report indicates that aggression against women who are human rights defenders increased 58.3% in the last year. This is reflected in the figures recorded by Somos Defensores: between 2013 and 2019, 1,338 individual attacks occurred, committed by a great diversity of actors.
More women die in Colombia with Duque
The content of the report also reveals that attacks on women human rights defenders have increased over time. This is especially the case in recent years, within the framework of the Peace Agreement that the current president, Iván Duque, decided to break.
In addition, it was possible to compile that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in 2019 murders against women defenders increased by about 50%, compared to 2018.
The Ombudsman’s Office is added to these alerts. The entity revealed that although the number of murders fell globally between 2018 and 2019, the number of women who work as defenders of HHRR killed, increased from 12 to 19.
Other data confirm that the highest rates of aggression have been committed against indigenous women leaders, with 118 cases. They are followed by the community women leaders with 75 cases and the peasant women leaders with 68 cases.
Then follow 66 cases against Afro-descendant women leaders and 63 cases against local women leaders. These numbers lead to the conclusion that the defense for land and territory is the most attacked.
With regard to the alleged perpetrators of the attacks, 902 cases correspond to paramilitary groups, in 331 cases the alleged perpetrator of the events is unknown. Meanwhile, at least 56 point towards State institutions, while another 34 cases blame the FARC-EP and another 13 the ELN.
Importance of women
The report also highlights that women human rights defenders are more likely to be attacked than sectors linked to ethnic, gender and subordination discrimination. The report highlights that this happens because in their work they undertake transformations in the roles and discourses that throughout history have caused inequality.
Likewise, they highlight the role of women in the processes of protection of rights and their importance in making visible situations of “social injustice, promotion of peace agendas and the promotion of democratic processes around the world”.
Despite this, social organizations express that at present there are still no favorable environments that guarantee women their right to defend human rights.
According to the Ombudsman’s Office, the limitations that exist to prioritize the safety of women and human rights defenders who are women in the country are linked to a lack of clarity regarding the powers of the territorial entities in prevention and protection.
Likewise, they warn that a differential approach and response times to the threats faced in the territories are not taken into account. This is something that prevents the risk situation from being addressed in a timely manner.
On the other hand, the report indicates that in the institutions in charge of the prosecution and investigation, there is no progress in identifying the origins of the threats.
Other difficulties arise for indigenous and Afro-Colombian women defenders and collective processes that request protection measures. The State does not recognize their traditional forms of self-government, cosmogony and their ancestral and collective conception of protection.
Limited progress against impunity
The “Somos Defensores” program has previously expressed the limited progress in entities such as the Prosecutor’s Office in the cases of murders of women social leaders. In regard to the homicides of women defenders, they point out that the majority of the cases “are in the investigation stage”.
Regarding the cases that are in imputation, trial, execution of sentences and conviction, the report states that they are at 9%. In other words, there is 91% of impunity in Colombia. Meanwhile, the Prosecutor’s Office insists on saying that 50% of the cases have already been clarified.
“From the response given to Sisma Mujer, only 14.1% of 78 cases of women defenders and leaders murdered that were presented to the justice system were found to be sentenced”, explains the report.
Different HHRR platforms state that the absence of guarantees is due not only to the absence of a correct protection response. They allege that there is also a “lack of political will” on the part of the Government of Colombia “to address situations of violence”.
Despite this, they add that women’s organizations continue to work with the institutions of the Colombian State. The purpose is to achieve and apply said guarantees.
