WUNRN
Excerpts:
IV. Afro-Colombian Women &
Violence
Afro-Colombian women have spoken to
me of their experiences, the violence committed against them, including sexual
violence, the fear and trauma that they have endured on a daily basis and the
challenges of their lives as women and mothers living under conditions of
conflict, displacement and poverty. Theirs is a story that must be told and a
situation that must be resolved. Women have told me of the multiple
discrimination that they face as Afro-Colombians, women, displaced and poor, a
potentially fatal combination that leaves them in a situation of extreme
vulnerability. Responses must be urgently put in place that recognize the
extreme impact of violence and displacement on women and create conditions of
security, dignity, and justice. The rights of women to return to their
community lands in security must be considered a priority.
When men have been killed,
disappeared, or forced to flee, women have assumed leadership roles in their
communities and have shown remarkable resilience and resistance. However, they
do not receive the necessary recognition as community leaders and are not
afforded the protection measures that they require......
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UN News Centre
15 February 2010 – Afro-Colombians continue to be displaced
from their ancestral lands and face ongoing violence and deep poverty, a United
Nations human rights expert has said, urging authorities in Colombia to do much
more to protect the rights of minorities in the Andean country.
Gay McDougall, the UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues, told a press conference in Bogotá on Friday that while Colombia has impressive legislation aimed at recognizing the rights of Afro-Colombians, many of these laws are rarely implemented or enforced.
“The vast majority of communities and organizations that I consulted complain that implementation... remains woefully inadequate, limited and sporadic,” said Ms. McDougall, who wrapped up a 12-day visit to Colombia during which she met with President Álvaro Uribe, other Government officials, academics, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and many Afro-Colombians.
“Most importantly, where steps have been taken, no real enforcement has followed.”
Afro-Colombian representatives told Ms. McDougall that displacement and dispossession together comprise the biggest problem.
“Despite the granting of collective titles to some 90 per cent of Afro-Colombian ancestral lands, many communities are displaced, dispossessed and unable to live on or work their lands. As one woman told me: 'The laws say all the right things but still nothing has happened'.”
The Independent Expert voiced particular concern about “mega-projects,” or large-scale operations involving major corporations that are promoted as providing economic gain to the whole of the country but have had the effect of encroaching on Afro-Colombians' land rights.
“In the face of such economic interests and mega-projects, it appears that the rights of communities are 'inconvenient rights' and that the laws put in place to protect them are equally inconvenient.”
During her press conference Ms. McDougall also spoke out about the impact of poverty and violence on Afro-Colombian communities, but especially women.
She called on authorities to “urgently put in place responses that recognize the extreme impact of violence and displacement on Afro-Colombian women and create conditions of security, dignity and justice.”
Ms. McDougall, who reports to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, serves in an independent and unpaid capacity and has held the post since July 2005.
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