“…Stop doing evil. Learn to do good, seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17)
We share this reflection to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. In CPT, our pillar continues to be our work to undo oppression. We ask you today to continue supporting us, joining in our efforts, and raising our prayers, voices, songs, and pleas for all the women who today suffer violence and those who are not here.
In Colombia, there is no peace for women. According to the National Human Rights Ombuds office, from 2018 to September 2021, 17,949 women and people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities reported having been victims of gender-based violence. The Colombian Femicide Observatory of the Antimilitarist Feminist Network reveals that between January and September of 2022, 445 femicides were registered in Colombia. And according to the National Coroners office, in that same period, 15,823 victims of sexual crimes against minors were reported, 23% more than the same period of the previous year.
The figures show an alarming increase in this violence that affects and impacts women’s lives. For this reason, Senator María José Pizarro leads the proposal already being processed in Congress to declare a national emergency. “Good intentions are no longer enough. That is why we propose declaring a Gender Emergency in the country, articulated with the High Council of Equality for Women, so that the legislature can develop forceful and immediate actions to stop gender-based violence.”
This is not an exclusive reality of the Colombian context. Women around the world face multiple forms of violence. This violence impacts their lives and those of their loved ones. It is a pain of mothers, daughters, and friends, for which the world must feel and recognize and seek definitive solutions.
