In 2016 the government signed a peace agreement with the FARC-EP guerilla after more than 50 years of conflict. Women played a central role during the peace process, and the peace agreement has a historically strong women’s perspective. FOKUS’ partners in Colombia were active contributors in the process, and were instrumental in ensuring that the agreement does not provide amnesty for sexual violence. But implementation remains slow, and the situation for human rights activists and local leaders is deteriorating.

Official estimates show that more than 400 000 women were killed during the armed conflict, and that over 2,7 million women were forcibly displaced.

To achieve reconciliation, trust and lasting peace, it’s crucial that women’s proposals have an impact when the country is building peace.

FOKUS cooperates with nine local partners to strengthen women’s rights in peace and reconciliation. Together we work to ensure that conflict-affected women and girls receive assistance, violations of women’s rights are documented and compensation claimed, and that more women participate in ongoing peace and reconciliation processes.

The presidential election in 2022 reignited work on implementing the peace agreement, and negotiations were initiated with all armed actors in the country. The aim is ‘total peace’ - a comprehensive and sustainable peace in Colombia. It remains to be seen what can be achieved.

Between May 2023 and 2024, the public prosecutor registered 149 017 domestic violence cases reported to the police as well as 630 femicides with alarming impunity: only 23% of murders of women committed between 2020 and 2023 saw the perpetrator convicted.

Colombia has ratified all international agreements on women’s rights and have made considerable strides towards a legal framework that safeguards women’s rights. But to end the violence we must challenge and change the underlying power structures that discriminate against women and girls.

Together with four local partner organisations, FOKUS works to stop violence against women and girls in Colombia by contributing to prevention and protection from gender-based violence, providing and securing legal aid, health services and psychosocial support to victims and survivors of violence, conducting trainings on the consequences of violence to girls, women, men and boys and their communities, and supporting training of health and social services personnel, police and law officials so they provide better follow-up.

FOKUS supports services for women and girls that experience unwanted pregnancies or need contraception, and provides preventive sexual education to youth. FOKUS also supports organisations working to strengthen women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights in legislation and policies. Good SRHR is decisive for young women to be able to complete an education, get a job and economic safety, and decide for themselves what kind of family structure they want.

Together with three local partners we work to mobilise, raise awareness and provide training in communities, improve access to contraception, counselling and safe abortions, provide capacity building for health personnel, improve sexual education, conduct local and national advocacy efforts, and remove SRHR restrictions through strategic litigation.

Since 2015, FOKUS has supported the movement Causa Justa in their fight for abortion rights. Their struggle led to a historic victory in 2022, when the Constitutional Court decriminalised abortion until 24 weeks of gestation. Despite this, there are still barriers to accessing abortion in Colombia, which affect marginalised women and girls the most.