Mariana, why is gender-based violence an urgent issue in Colombia?
In 2025 alone, there have been over 83.000 cases of violence against women and over 600 femicides in Colombia. Gender-based violence can take various forms: not only as physical or sexual violence but also as economic dependence and social control. This is why it is so important to empower women politically and economically, to fight against the normalisation of violence, and to change the current social patterns. Colombia’s peacebuilding strategy needs to address gender-based violence so women can exercise their rights and live safely in their communities.
How does gender-based violence manifest in the areas where SWISSAID is active?
Women in rural Colombia face many interconnected challenges. Patriarchy and machismo continue to shape everyday life. The male-dominated mining industry, alcoholism, and the legacy of armed conflict perpetuate a model of masculinity based on control and fear. Meaning: men are seen as the ones who decide, and women are expected to stay silent and be economically dependent on men. This puts women in a very difficult situation. They don’t have access to land or economic opportunities. What’s more, institutions do not respond to their plight well – not only because they are sometimes slow or inefficient – but also because of the long distances, inaccessibility, and even informal wars imposed by local armed actors or economic elites.
It is a truly complex situation. Could you elaborate on the intersectional nature of women’s challenges?
Basically, the discrimination they suffer in rural areas is higher for women from marginalised groups, such as indigenous women, Afro-descendant women, or women with disabilities. The women don’t just face individual cases of violence, but an entire system where culture normalises control, and the economy limits their independence. A young woman from Sucre told us that she depends on her partner for basic expenses such as food or transportation. In this situation, leaving an abusive relationship may seem impossible.
Women in rural Colombia don’t just face individual cases of violence, but an entire system where culture normalises control, and the economy limits their independence.
Mariana Córdoba, Country Representative of SWISSAID Colombia
How does SWISSAID contribute to prevent gender-based violence and support survivors of violence in rural Colombia?
We have a project called “Women, Political Participation, and Peace”. Through trainings and workshops, we promote women’s political participation and economic independence. But we also build bridges between society and public institutions.
One particularly impactful pillar of the project is the empowerment of community networks to prevent gender-based violence. These communities are often the first points of contact in cases of violence. They get women together, accompany survivors, offer room to share information, and demand responses from authorities. They are the local actors shaping public policy. Currently, we are working with nine networks comprised of both men and women, which is important.
Why is it important to work with men and women?
We believe that engaging men is part of the solution. We have workshops, dialogue circles, and even sport or cooking events to bring men together to reflect about their expectations on women, to talk about emotions, and to better understand how violence, or even certain attitudes, not only harm women but also themselves and their communities. We also work with school and youth groups because we believe that the youth is key to breaking the patterns. Now, young boys in our programmes have begun to understand that growing, listening, and sharing responsibilities are also forms of strength.
What presents a challenge in the work you and your team do?
Honestly, engaging the men is quite challenging. Patriarchy and machismo are deeply embedded in the culture, so there is this normalisation of violence that takes time to break. This is why the role of international cooperation is so important – not just to quickly smooth processes, but to offer solid support, to stay, and to listen. Especially considering the decreasing international funding for Latin America today, and the rise of conservative movements attacking women’s rights. But we have been working on this topic for the last 20 years. We have a lot of experience and work with local teams, which is very important to be more sensitive towards cultural and political particularities.
Looking back, is there any change you are particularly happy to see?
I think one of the most important results of our project is empowering the community networks to prevent gender-based violence. These networks did not appear overnight. A small group of women started working together to fight the violence. Over the past five years, they have grown from small groups to organised spaces for training, support, and action. Today, they are very important political actors shaping public policy.
What are you hoping to achieve for the remainder of the project’s running time?
Today, we are working with nine community networks with over 300 members and more than 68 community-based and civil society institutions. We really hope to expand these networks and to bring in more local actors, so that the change is actually sustainable.
