Women victims of the Colombian conflict need better services and protection, said the Inspector General’s office Tuesday.
Following a consultation commissioned by USAID‘s human rights program, the Inspector General’s office concluded that the government is failing to meet the needs of women victims of armed conflict, and called for the creation of a public policy specifically addressing them.
A spokesman said, “There is no sustained and exclusive public policy aimed at defending the rights of women victims of armed conflict in Colombia. While there have been significant advances in the visibility of gender-based violence, particularly sexual violence, there are multiple challenges to be faced.”
In a report earlier this year, human rights organization Amnesty International said Colombian authorities had failed to achieve justice for women and girl survivors of sexual violence.
It cited a myriad barriers to justice, including a historical lack of political will to combat impunity, ineffective protection measures for witnesses and survivors, poor gender training for judicial officials, and a lack of definitions in the national legislation on rape as a crime under international law.
It called on the government to develop a comprehensive strategy to ensure effective prevention, investigation and prosecution of conflict-related violence against women.