They indicated that femicides among girls and adolescents are related to sexual violence, human trafficking and child marriage.
News Colombia.
With an emphatic call to provide comprehensive care to girls and adolescents who are victims of gender-based violence and feminicide, the general director of the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare (ICBF), Astrid Cáceres, stressed the importance of making this critical phenomenon visible. During her participation in the follow-up roundtable “Femicide and Gender Violence,” convened by the Attorney General’s Office, Cáceres highlighted the alarming situation facing the country.
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Astrid Cáceres presented figures provided by social organizations that reveal the magnitude of the problem. During 2024, 30 femicides of minors under 18 years of age have been recorded throughout the country. These figures highlight the urgency of addressing the problem with a comprehensive approach.
“This underlines the need to make this phenomenon visible and address it with a comprehensive approach that considers both the life course and the territorial perspective. Femicide in girls and adolescents is not an isolated event, it is closely related to other forms of gender violence such as sexual violence, human trafficking, female genital mutilation and child marriage,” said the official.
#At this time the director @AstridElianaCparticipates in the monitoring table: Femicide and Gender Violence of the @PGN_COL In Barranquilla, #Atlantic.
There it reaffirms its commitment to the prevention, care and protection of victims of Gender-Based Violence (GBV)⤵️ pic.twitter.com/WDOpUNvAUp— Family Welfare | ICBF (@ICBFColombia) July 17, 2024
Relationship with other forms of violence
The ICBF director emphasized that femicide in girls and adolescents is linked to other forms of gender violence.
“In many places, patriarchal relationships are still naturalized, where men believe they own women, and when they are adolescents between 16 and 18 years old, the emotional impact can be stronger, as well as their vulnerability. So, they are easy prey for some predators and we must be alert to be able to defend them,” explained Cáceres.
ICBF Commitment
Astrid Cáceres reaffirmed ICBF’s commitment to eradicating gender violence and guaranteeing a safe and equitable environment for all women and girls in Colombia.
Between January and May 2024, the ICBF opened 6,579 Administrative Processes for the Restoration of Rights (PARD) for sexual violence, of which 87% corresponded to girls and adolescent women. These statistics reflect the seriousness of the problem and the need for concrete and effective actions to protect victims.
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