Foreign Minister announces progress on gender and environmental issues in Colombia to the United Nations

Colombia's Vice President and Foreign Minister Marta Lucia Ramirez announced the country's progress towards gender equality at the 66th meeting of the United Nations (UN) Women's Status Committee.He also explained how the inclusion of a gender approach in the fight against climate change has contributed to the preservation of the environment in the country.

In general, the Vice President and the Prime Minister are convinced that the current administration of President Iván Duque has made progress in creating public policies to close the gender disparity.Ramírez also recalled that there are specific projects in the United States that open up employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women.

Regarding her relationship with the environment and women, she is convinced that climate change mainly affects this population, so he pointed out that the government is leading several strategies to help close the gender gap and protect the environment.

Ramírez highlighted the energy transition strategy led by President Duque. President Duque is already working on several projects whose development axis is women. He also mentioned that the national government has set a goal of planting 180 million trees, the goal of creating employment for 11,286 rural women who advocate for environmental causes.

Finally, officials urged all countries to create strategies that 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 is still a high risk factor. On March 8, the Ombudsman's Office warned that it handled 3,646 cases of sexual violence last year. That is, on average, 10 events occurred per day.

“We call on the community about the importance of respecting women and girls in all environments, protecting their rights and enabling them to reach their full potential. Particular emphasis is placed on finding mechanisms to end all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls.The Ombudsman, Carlos Camargo.

The figures up to this year are also not encouraging: According to a recent report from the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Medicine, 6,280 women were assaulted in January, an increase of 29.6% compared to the same period in 2021 (1,438 cases).

Among these total acts of violence, 2,914 women suffered from 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 concerns is the increase in cases of aggression among children and adolescents. Worldwide, the Medicina Legal (Medicina Legal) reported 306 facts. They also warned that violence incidents occur between the ages of 0 and 5 in many of these situations.

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