Humanity & Inclusion Canada

Published purpose

The project aims to promote the protection, safety, empowerment and dignity of vulnerable Indigenous communities, especially women, in 9 municipalities of the Departments of Nariño and Antioquia in Colombia. These municipalities have been the most affected by the armed conflict, and present high rates of poverty, presence of illicit economies and institutional weakness. The project supports the priorities outlined in the sections of the Colombian Peace Agreement that grant official status to Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities. Project activities include: (1) providing training and working group sessions to improve Indigenous community protection mechanisms, which include the active participation of Indigenous women; (2) providing training and working group sessions to increase knowledge on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) within communities, and work to prevent and respond to SGBV; (3) organizing activities to strengthen the knowledge of state institutions, particularly the Ombudsman Office, on Indigenous rights, with a focus on the rights of Indigenous women, including survivors of the conflict, and disabled people; (4) supporting local and national advocacy for gender-responsive protection mechanisms, in line with the Colombian government’s commitments in the Ethnic Chapter; and (5) strengthening the capacity of Indigenous women to participate in decision-making spaces.