Foreign Minister announces progress on gender and environmental issues in Colombia

Colombia's Vice President and Foreign Minister Marta Lucía Ramirez announced the country's progress towards gender equality at the 66th meeting of the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Situation of Women. He also explained how the integration of gender perspectives in the fight against climate change contributed to the preservation of the country's environment.

In general, the Vice President and Prime Minister are convinced that the current administration of President Ivan Duque has made progress in formulating public policies aimed at eliminating gender inequality. Ramirez also recalled that there are certain projects in the United States that open up employment and business opportunities for women.

Regarding her relationship with the environment and women, she noted that the government implemented several strategies to close the gender gap and protect the environment because she was convinced that climate change mainly affected this population group.

Ramirez emphasized the energy transition strategy led by President Duque. President Duque is already working on several projects aimed at women's development. He also noted that the national government has set a goal to plant 180 million trees to create jobs for 11,286 rural women who advocate for environmental issues.

Finally, officials urged all countries to develop policies that would benefit women and the environment.

Although the country has made progress in some areas that affect women, it should be noted that violence against women continues to be a high risk factor: on March 8, the Ombudsman's office warned that it handled 3,646 cases of sexual violence last year. In other words, there were an average of 10 events per day.

“We urge communities to pay attention to the importance of respecting women and girls in all environments, protecting their rights, and enabling them to reach their full potential. Particular attention is paid to finding mechanisms to end all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls.The Ombudsman Carlos Camargo.

This year's figures are also not encouraging. According to a recent report by the National Institute of Forensics and Forensics, 6,280 women were assaulted in January, an increase of 29.6% compared to the same period in 2021 (1438 cases).

Among the total acts of violence, 2,914 women were victims of domestic violence, and 2,144 of them were assaulted by their partners. On the other hand, 1,611 of these cases coincided with interpersonal violence.

One of the problems is the increase in cases of aggression in children and adolescents. Globally, the Medicina legal institution has reported 306 facts. They also warned that violence occurs between the ages of 0 and 5 in many of these situations.

Continue reading: