La situación de emergencia por COVID 19 devela la preocupante realidad de las personas LGBTI en Colombia

La situación de emergencia por COVID 19 devela la preocupante realidad de las personas LGBTI en Colombia

El contexto de urgencia derivado de la Pandemia en Colombia ha dado paso a diversas reflexiones acerca de las formas de desigualdad que operan habitualmente sobre la población LGBTI y que se recrudecen ante los críticos episodios que hoy se viven.

Con más de 2.500 casos de contagio en Colombia[1], Laura Poveda, Consultora para Colombia del Programa LGBTI de Raza e Igualdad señala:  “Es claro que la discriminación estructural y sistemática en aspectos como salud, trabajo, educación, entre otros escenarios, supone de entrada condiciones desiguales para hacer frente a los efectos de la pandemia y las medidas para su contención”.

Ante la falta de cifras oficiales que den cuenta del nivel de acceso a derechos de las personas LGBTI en el país, la Fundación Arcoiris de Tumaco se ha dado a la tarea de adelantar un censo en el municipio de Tumaco, Nariño, para conocer las condiciones de empleo y acceso a servicios públicos con las que cuentan gays, lesbianas y transexuales en esta zona al suroriente del país[2].

La dificultad de acceder a un empleo, a causa de estructuras de discriminación social, obliga a la mayor parte de las personas LGBTI a recurrir a la informalidad como forma de obtener un ingreso, por tal razón, este se convierte en la mayor preocupación, dada la medida de aislamiento decretada para el territorio nacional.

Con especial preocupación se observa la situación de las personas trans que ejercen el trabajo sexual. Como lo han denunciado organizaciones como la Red Comunitaria Trans y Calle 7 Colombia, “las trabajadoras sexuales son directamente afectadas por la crisis sanitaria ya que muchas viven del día a día y no pueden salir a trabajar, por tanto, se han quedado sin un techo donde pasar la cuarentena y han tenido que verse forzadas a habitar la calle”[3]. Esta situación implica además que muches no se encuentren afiliades al sistema de salud, lo que aumenta la incertidumbre para acceder a servicios de atención urgente, añade la abogada para temas LGBTI de Raza e Igualdad.

En el ámbito educativo, la organización Somos Identidad de Cali señala que las opciones ofrecidas por las instituciones educativas para la continuación de las clases por medio de herramientas tecnológicas, afecta y desconoce gravemente las condiciones de pobreza y falta de acceso a computadores y servicios de internet de les estudiantes, en especial de aquelles que se identifican como afro LGBTI[4].

Las medidas para contrarrestar la emergencia pueden exacerbar la violencia y la discriminación

Las medidas de seguridad tomadas por el Gobierno Nacional, que incluyen la militarización de diferentes territorios y la implementación de toques de queda, pone en grave riesgo la integridad de las personas LGBTI. Muestra de esto,  son los ataques por parte de la policía nacional a dos mujeres migrantes, trans trabajadas sexuales registrados durante el mes de marzo en la ciudad de Bogotá, y el ataque de una mujer trans en la ciudad de Medellín[5].  Sumado a esto, el miércoles 25 de marzo, el activista social y LGBT, Jhon Restrepo, sufrió un brutal ataque en el marco de una actividad de asistencia social por la emergencia sanitaria en el barrio Esfuerzos de Paz de la Comuna 8 en Medellín[6].

“Otro aspecto a tener en cuenta de cara a la crisis, es que, si bien la medida de aislamiento resulta ser la mejor opción para prevenir el contagio, el hogar puede convertirse en una amenaza para las personas LGBT”, precisa Poveda; quien además señala que  la situación de las mujeres LBT preocupa especialmente pues, como lo han denuncian la Corporación Caribe Afirmativo y la Fundación Triángulo:  “en este contexto de emergencia, los índices de violencia contra la mujer han aumentado, esto debido a las tensiones en el hogar[7] y los episodios de lgbtfobia de personas cercanas a este”.

Adicional a esto, se suma la preocupación en organizaciones LGBTI de todo el país por el Decreto expedido por la Alcaldía de la ciudad de Bogotá, replicado días después en la ciudad de Cartagena[8], mediante el cual se implementa la medida de “pico y género” para fiscalizar la salida de hombres y mujeres, permitiéndoles salir a los hombres los días impares y a las mujeres, los días pares[9].  “Si bien el documento es claro en señalar que las personas con identidades de género diversas podrán salir el día en que le esté permitida la circulación al género con el que más se identifiquen, las múltiples agresiones registradas por parte de la Policía Nacional hacia personas LGBT en estos contextos, ponen de manifiesto que no existen garantías reales para afirmar que las personas trans, no binaries y las mujeres en general, puedan circular con seguridad y garantías de respeto a sus derechos fundamentales”, señala Laura Poveda.

A pesar del extenso marco legal que obliga a las autoridades garantizar la integridad y derechos de las personas LGBTI la experiencia ha demostrado que aún existen violaciones a dicha reglamentación razón por la cual, muchos de los ataques a estas personas continúan en completa impunidad.

Recomendaciones al Gobierno Nacional

Debido a la preocupante situación que enfrentan las personas LGBTI en el contexto de emergencia por COVID 19, Raza e Igualdad urge al Estado colombiano a:

  1. Involucrar a las comunidades afectadas, incluyendo la población LGBT, en el diseño e implementación de todas las medidas de respuesta para generar confianza, garantizar acciones adecuadas y eficientes, evitar daños indirectos o no intencionados y garantizar el intercambio frecuente de información.
  2. Agilizar el tiempo y mejorar los canales de respuesta para garantizar una atención oportuna frente a las necesidades y la vulneración de DDHH de personas LGBT de cara a la situación de emergencia. De acuerdo con algunos testimonios, algunas entidades estatales han solicitado información sobre casos de atención urgente para personas LGBT, prometiéndoles ayudas como alimentación, refugio, etc. Si bien estas organizaciones han entregado los datos, las ayudas estatales no llegan y no existe información oficial sobre los plazos y condiciones en que se entregarían.
  3. Es preciso que las medidas de atención y contingencia se piensen desde un enfoque de derechos humanos que respete la diversidad y el autoreconocimiento de las personas LGBT, sumado a la urgencia de analizar las medidas en clave interseccional, incluyendo un enfoque de raza, migratorio, etario, etc. En el caso de las medidas de segregación por género, como el “pico y género” implementados en Bogotá y Cartagena, urgimos a estos gobiernos locales a explorar otro tipo de medidas que eliminen el riesgo de agresión y de vulneración de derechos de las personas LGBT.
  4. Coordinar de la mano de los gobiernos locales, medidas para la garantía al acceso a la alimentación, vivienda, servicios de salud y salubridad y otras necesidades básicas de las personas LGBT.

[1]  https://www.minsalud.gov.co/salud/publica/PET/Paginas/Covid-19_copia.aspx

[2] Entrevista con Nixon Ortiz, Director de la Fundación Arcoiris de Tumaco.

[3]https://www.radionica.rocks/analisis/personas-vulnerables-coronavirus?fbclid=IwAR31fZ2ogdkABZAulJJZVEWjsLdyDlcuEC8nY4DF1xDdu0WbYGMv2-iJPqo

[4] Entrevista con Sandra Milena Arizabaleta, Directora de la Fundación Afrodescendiente por las Diversidades Sociales y Sexuales – Somos Identidad.

[5] https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=205516064072838

[6] https://www.elcolombiano.com/antioquia/atentado-en-contra-de-jhon-restrepo-lider-social-de-medellin-HM12694267

[7] https://caribeafirmativo.lgbt/situacion-las-mujeres-lesbianas-bisexuales-trans-lbt-frente-la-pandemia-del-covid-19/

[8]https://caribeafirmativo.lgbt/pico-genero-la-ciudad-cartagena-una-apuesta-aumenta-riesgo-violencias-hacia-las-personas-trans-reafirma-la-concepcion-binaria-del-genero/

[9] https://www.eltiempo.com/bogota/organizaciones-de-personas-trans-rechazan-medida-de-pico-y-genero-en-bogota-482746

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Raza e Igualdad hace un llamado a los Estados en Latinoamérica para que tomen medidas más inclusivas a favor de las personas trans

Washington D.C., March 31st 2020. Today we commemorate the International Transgender Visibility Day, a day to celebrate transgender lives and raise awareness about the discrimination this population faces. On this day, the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality), wants to give visibility to the issues transgender people face throughout Latin America.

All over the world, racism and other forms of discrimination marginalize and ostracize the trans population. This makes access to health services, education, work, and housing extremely difficult.  Unfortunately, States limited disaggregated data on the situation of trans people rendering them invisible from groups targeted for public policies designated to support vulnerable situations, especially in Latin America. Combined, these factors place them in vulnerable situations where they are more susceptible to different illnesses, addictions, and violence.

Violence against the trans community in Latin America

The trans community continues to face severe incidents of violence. For example, Brazil remains the leading country in trans homicides around the world with 127 registered cases[1], closely followed by Colombia who ranks third, with 21 recorded crimes against this population[2].  According to data collected by the National Association of Travestis and Transsexuals (ANTRA) in Brazil, there was a 90% increase in the first bimester of this year (38) compared to the same period last year (20).[3] According to these statistics, in some countries, to identify as trans is to sign a death sentence.

In Perú, the trans community continues to face large amounts of violence and discrimination. During the 2020 congressional elections, Gahela Cari, the first transgender candidate to run for Congress in Peru, tried to cast her vote when a member of the National Jury of Elections (JNE) refused to recognize her gender identity. Similarly, members of the polling station in Lambayeque harassed Fiorella Mimbela, an LGBTI+ activist, when her legal name and image were spread around social media networks.[4] These are not isolated acts but part of a wider pattern of rejection and violence the Peruvian trans community faces.

In the Dominican Republic, LGBTI organizations have recorded around 48 transgender homicides since 2006. Out of these 48 only 5 have verdicts, demonstrating the trans community not only faces high levels of violence but also faces barriers in access to justice. A more recent case shows that strangers are not always the perpetrators of these heinous acts. Willianny, a trans woman, had both her hair and breasts cut off by her own family members before her funeral, a repudiation of her identity. One LGBT activist, Yimbert Feliz Telemin, commented that “in the Dominican Republic being trans is worse than being a street dog.”[5]

Continual work must be done in order to combat the discrimination and violence against the trans population. Race and Equality calls on all Latin American and Caribbean States to sign and ratify the Inter-American Convention Against all Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance[6] and, for States that have not done so, legally recognize the gender identity of trans and non-binary people in accordance with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights Advisory Opinion 24-17[7]. Additionally, we remind States that many members of the trans community are sex workers and depend on their profession to survive. We call on States to safeguard their rights and guarantee they will not be the object of cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment.

Gender Identity

Much of the discrimination against the trans population is also created from the lack of recognition of their identity.  As ANTRA describes it, it is not only the denial of their name, but their identity, “an appropriation by a society that frequently prefers to expose rather than welcome.”[8] Oftentimes, countries such as the Dominican Republic do not allow trans people to legally change their name while other countries place hurdles such as high costs, long bureaucratic processes, or as in Peru, require the process to be through the courts. Having the correct documentation is just the first step of many to demarginalize trans people from different public spaces. 

In countries where name recognition is legal, there continue to be issues with the lack of information regarding the process, both in relation to the necessary procedures and what to do in cases of discrimination. In rural areas all these issues are exacerbated. Bruna Benavides from ANTRA in Brazil notes that there is little investment in training or capacity building programs for trans leaders, so that they can provide the necessary assistance for people to complete the rectification of their documents.

Trans people during the pandemic

In collaboration with our partners we also ask for the inclusion of trans people in all public policies created due to COVID-19, not only at the local and state level, but also at a federal level, especially those developed to aid low-income, self-employed, and unemployed people. During this time, the stigma and discrimination against the trans population has become more visible. We call on States to guarantee their access to health and put in place protocols that will ensure they are treated humanely and not discriminated against because of their gender identity.

[1] Associação Nacional de Travestis e Transexuais do Brasil (ANTRA); Instituto Brasileiro Trans de educação (IBTE). “Dossiê Assassinatos e violência contra travestis e transexuais no Brasil em 2019”. 2020.

[2] https://www.rcnradio.com/colombia/colombia-tercer-pais-en-america-con-mayor-riesgo-para-personas-trans

[3]Associação Nacional de Travestis e Transexuais do Brasil (ANTRA); Instituto Brasileiro Trans de educação (IBTE). “Dossiê Assassinatos e violência contra travestis e transexuais no Brasil em 2019”. 2020.

[4] https://larepublica.pe/genero/2020/01/27/elecciones-2020-gahela-cari-y-fiorella-mimbela-denunciaron-discriminacion-y-transfobia-en-lima-y-lambayeque-transgenero-atmp/?fbclid=IwAR19ssnwXobbu2OkKcjMSZGvPqvRDKc2nkP0N93Hky31Wcz-Smb6nBYdB8s

[5] https://plumasatomicas.com/lgbt/familia-mutilo-senos-cabello-mujer-trans/

[6] To date only Uruguay and Mexico have signed and ratified this Convention. Avaiable at: http://www.oas.org/es/sla/ddi/tratados_multilaterales_interamericanos_A-69_discriminacion_intolerancia.asp

[7] https://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/opiniones/seriea_24_esp.pdf

[8] Associação Nacional de Travestis e Transexuais do Brasil (ANTRA); Instituto Brasileiro Trans de educação (IBTE). “Dossiê Assassinatos e violência contra travestis e transexuais no Brasil em 2019” 2020.

Organizaciones Afro LGBTI colombianas se reúnen con representantes de la JEP

Leaders of Afro-LGBTI organizations from the municipalities of Cauca, Valle del Cauca, Nariño and the Colombian Caribbean explained and denounced the effects and violence Afro-descendants with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities suffered during the armed conflict before representatives of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP).

The event that took place on March 12 and 13 is part of a project led by the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) with the support of the Canadian government. “The project seeks to make Afro-LGBTI victims of the armed conflict, as well as the causes and differential impacts that these types of violence have on people with diverse sexual identities and expressions, more visible,” said Laura Poveda, lawyer for Race and Equality. In relation to this, Pedro Cortés, Colombian consultant at Race and Equality, highlighted the importance of this meeting as a space that strengthens and increases the participation of Afro-LGBTI civil society organizations before the Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice and Reparation.

Throughout the meeting, which included the participation of JEP magistrate Heydi Patricia Baldosea Perea, also a member of both the gender and ethnic commissions of the same institution, the participants, through a collective dialogue, delved into the violations and direct effects that Afro-LGBTI groups continue to face in the territories.

Joana Caicedo from the organization Somos Identidad in the city of Cali, pointed out that LGBTI people, especially from the most impoverished communities in the city, which are mostly composed of Afro-Colombians, have faced and continue to face situations of violence by armed actors in the territory. Armed groups during conflicts use strategies to correct of modify expressions that they consider “abnormal”, for example, the most common forms of violence against LGBTI people are forced recruitment and sexual violence.

“LGBTI people are usually forced to hide and try to act normal so as not to be harassed; now, living in different contexts as a black person is difficult, so being LGBTI in contexts of violence and armed conflict further exacerbates the situation,” indicates Caicedo from Somos Identidad.

Vivian Cuello from Caribe Afirmativo emphasized that structural racism still persists in all of society, which is why the armed conflict disproportionately affected Afro-descendant groups. “It is no coincidence that the armed conflict mostly affected a large part of the racialized territories. This is due to an imminent absence of the State in these territories, which allows armed groups to inhabit and take control of the territories,” she added.

According to Angelo Muñoz of the Afro-Colombian Foundation Arco Irís in Tumaco, the “objectification” and “social normalization” of violence against LGBTI people is another one of the main effects diverse groups suffered in the territories where there is and has been armed conflict.  He also emphasized the state of violation that represents for the LGBTI groups in Tumaco, not having judicial or social support when it comes to violence against various people.

“In a territory where there is armed conflict, the black and LGBTI are a vulnerable body in an indifferent territory,” added Muñoz.

Judge Baldosea referred to the 7 cases that have so far been opened in the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, thanking and encouraging civil society organizations to present reports that integrate data that may be related to already open cases in order to approach such investigations from an intersectional approach.

Additionally, the Magistrate carefully explained the processes and methods used by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace and the way in which these are being reviewed.

Magistrate Heidy Patricia Baldosea, JEP

“We do not have a clear idea or exact data on how many cases will be opened; to date civil society organizations have submitted an average of 284 reports and the call is open until March 2021. For our part, as body that has a clear mission of clarifying the truth, we will continue working to guarantee a comprehensive process for victims,” said Baldosea.

Likewise, representatives of Afro-LGBTI civil society recommended decentralizing the processes that are being carried out to date in the JEP, to approach communities in the territories through less institutional forms, and thus generate trust and bring the necessary information in the clearest and most concise way.

Through this project, Race and Equality, with the support of the Canadian government, seeks to join the initiatives undertaken by organizations such as Caribe Afirmativo who have already presented documented cases before the JEP of Afro LGBTI victims of the armed conflict in the region of Urabá (northwestern Colombia) and the municipality of Tumaco.

21 de marzo: Día Internacional por la Eliminación de la Discriminación Racial

Message from Carlos Quesada, executive director of Race and Equality

Washington DC, 2020, May 21st. Today we commemorate once again the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, a day that we at the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality), take as an opportunity to remember our universal rights to equality and non-discrimination. This message must be echoed in a context of growing intolerance, hate, and superiority speech that do not contribute to the development and well-being of our society.

We have been commemorating this day since 1966, in memory of the 1960 Sharpeville massacre in South Africa, when police opened fire and killed 69 people who were protesting peacefully against the Apartheid Pass Laws. Since then, racial discrimination has subsided considerably in Africa and also in Latin America.

This year, Mexico ratified the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Forms of Intolerance, thus joining Uruguay, Costa Rica, and Antigua and Barbuda; and also ratified the Inter-American Convention against All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance, which entered into force with this ratification.

Also in Mexico, the inclusion of the Afro-descendant self-identification question was achieved for the first time in the 2020 Census. However, it was included late in the process, so Afro-Mexican organizations had to start their awareness campaigns just a few months before the census, which is being carried out this month. Currently, the campaign continues with great force led by the Collective to Eliminate Racism in Mexico (COPERA, for its initials in Spanish) along with Race and Equality and in alliance with some government agencies and Afro-Mexican organizations.

In Panama, we are concerned that the census scheduled for May 2020 was postponed until the first quarter of 2021, due to delays with the bidding process. This implied that all progress made on the 2020 Census was suspended, and adjustments to the next steps represent a great challenge. This is because there are several actions that must be carried out such as updating the budget, cartography, and identifying and hiring personnel, among many other duties. However, this period has allowed for the promotion of self-identification among Afro-descendants in both rural and urban communities.

In Colombia, the number of social leaders assassinated in 2019 was alarming: at least 253, of which 91 were Afro-descendant and indigenous leaders, according to the Institute for Development and Peace Studies (INDEPAZ, for its initials in Spanish). Patterns of structural racial discrimination continue to prevent Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities from having effective enjoyment of their economic, social, and cultural rights compared to the rest of the Colombian society. It is a matter of concern that given this situation, the Colombian government has not guaranteed an adequate statistical estimate of the Afro-Colombian population. This is reflected in the 2018 Census, where the black, palenquera and raizal population was reduced by 31% compared to the 2005 Census. The Government is also not offering the conditions needed for the implementation of the Peace Agreement with an ethnic-differential approach.

In Brazil, between January and February 2020, 38 trans women were killed, of whom 75% were Afro-Brazilian. This figure is particularly worrisome because it is 90% higher compared to last year’s figures. In general, most LGBT crimes are committed against Afro-descendants, according to data from the National Association of Travestis and Transsexuals (ANTRA, for its initials in Portuguese).

In Cuba, there is still no implementation plan for the International Decade for People of African Descent. We have managed to document that the majority of the activists who are victims repression by the Cuban Government are Afro-descendants, such as Juan Antonio Madrazo, Marthadela Tamayo or Nancy Alfaya. From the State’s side, there is no opening to recognize the existence of racial discrimination on the island.

From Race and Equality, we will continue to make visible, fight, and denounce the marginalization and injustices that Afro-descendant populations face in the Americas. We will continue to work, especially in the company of our counterparts in the region, who, from their communities, contribute to tehe construction of a more equal society.

En el Día Internacional de la Mujer, Raza e Igualdad honra el trabajo de las defensoras de derechos humanos

To mark March 8, International Women’s Day, the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) wishes to highlight the fundamental role played by women human rights defenders in Latin America and the Caribbean. In a region where rates of sexual and gender-based violence against women are extremely high and multiple forms of discrimination are entrenched, women human rights defenders are key in the fight for the defense of women’s human rights. Likewise, they are at the vanguard of promoting and protecting the rights of others.

Although the vast majority of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW),[1] women in the region continue to suffer inequalities that negatively impact their full enjoyment of human rights. According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), more than 3,800 women in 33 countries in the region were murdered because of their gender in 2019.[2] This violence stems from structural inequalities which profoundly affect all women, but especially women members of historically marginalized groups like Afro-descendants and the LGBTI community. For example, according to the Network of Afro-Latin American, Afro-Caribbean, and Diaspora Women, Afro-descendant women are victims of multiple forms of violence, which is often racialized. Likewise, the current discourse on gender ideology in the region, driven by in large part by conservative religious groups, has led to more discrimination against lesbian, bi-sexual, and trans women, as well as more hate crimes and murders. Finally, poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean, as in other regions in the world, has a feminine face, as women are less likely to have access to higher education and work outside of the home than their male counterparts. When women do work outside of the home, they are paid, on average, 17% less than men.[3] All of these factors make the work of women human rights defenders of utmost importance. But, they are also facing some grave challenges.

In Colombia, where the post-Peace Accord reality for human rights defenders is startlingly alarming due to the high rate of murders of defenders and impunity for those murders, women human rights defenders are among the most vulnerable. As the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights recently documented, the number of women human rights defenders killed in Colombia in 2019 increased by 50% over the 2018 number.[4] Afro-descendant and rural women defenders are at generally greater risk, just as they suffer greater vulnerabilities in terms of overall enjoyment of their human rights.

In Cuba, independent women activists are facing an increase in repression and de facto house arrests, as well as reprisals and threats against themselves and their family members. Travel restrictions arbitrarily imposed by the Cuban government routinely prevent independent activists from participating in advocacy activities outside of the island and the application of these against women continues to grow. Furthermore, Cuban women are clamoring for an Integral Law against Gender Violence – a proposal which has been rejected by the National Assembly – and they continue to face difficulties in accessing decent, well-paying jobs.

In Nicaragua, the crisis that began in April 2018 has had a profound impact on women. Women human rights defenders, such as the Mothers of April, have played an important role in the opposition movement, as many have lost their children to the violence of the crisis. There has also been an overall increase in violence against women and femicides, as a result of the crisis. Furthermore, women in Nicaragua also face disproportionate economic consequences due to the crisis, as many have been left as heads of households, with male family members killed, imprisoned, or fired from their jobs because of their political ties.

In Brazil, the situation of violence against women is extremely concerning, especially against Afro-descendant and trans women. Our partners have documented that in the first two months of the year 38 trans women have been killed in the country.[5] This high level of violence makes the work of women human rights defenders – especially those working on behalf of diverse communities of women – all the more difficult and important.

Race and Equality calls on all Latin American and Caribbean States to honor the human rights commitments they have made under CEDAW and other applicable international human rights treaties, to respect and protect the rights of women. We likewise reiterate our support for women human rights defenders, especially those of our partner organizations and in the countries where we work, who so courageously and tirelessly fight to promote and defend the rights of women and others in the region on a daily basis. We thank you and assure you that you are not alone in your work towards a safer, more just, and equitable society for all.

[1] OHCHR. Status of Ratification Interactive Dashboard: CEDAW, https://indicators.ohchr.org/ (last accessed Mar. 4, 2020).

[2] ECLAC. Measuring femicide: challenges and efforts to bolster the process in Latin America and the Caribbean, Nov. 2019, available at: https://oig.cepal.org/sites/default/files/femicide_web.pdf.

[3] UN News. More women in Latin America are working, but gender gap persists, new UN figures show, Oct. 28, 2019, available at: https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/10/1050121.

[4] UN News. Colombia: ‘Staggering number’ of human rights defenders killed in 2019, Jan. 14, 2020, available at: https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/01/1055272.

[5] See www.antrabrasil.org.

Somos Identidad y Raza e Igualdad rechazan los actos de discriminación contra las personas Trans en ambientes Universitarios

El martes 4 de febrero de 2020, se comprobó una vez más que la falta de políticas educativas y programas efectivos que visibilicen y promuevan la inclusión y el respeto por la diversidad sexual al interior de la Universidad del Valle ha conllevado a que existan lugares inseguros para los cuerpos de las mujeres trans. En el transcurso de ese día, en diferentes baños ubicados en la cafetería de la Sede Meléndez, señalizados para “mujeres”, se pintaron grafitis que violentan a las mujeres trans, se les categoriza en masculino y se les “prohíbe” el uso de tales instalaciones sanitarias.

Este hecho nos parece especialmente grave, toda vez que las personas trans han sido históricamente condenadas a la exclusión, teniendo en cuenta que su esperanza de vida alcanza solo los 35 años y sus posibilidades de acceder a la educación superior son mínimas. Es asi como la Universidad del Valle, reconoció que en la actualidad, solo ocho (08) de los más de quince mil (15.000) estudiantes, se autoidentifican como persona trans1.

Estos actos de discriminación perpetúan la violencia y la vulneración de los derechos humanos de las mujeres trans y reproducen los discursos de odio que llevaron a que el año pasado fueran asesinadas más de once (11) mujeres trans en el país2, sin que hasta la fecha se hayan logrado avances significativos en las investigaciones y condenas.

Es por todo lo anterior que la Fundación Afrodescendiente por las Diversidades Sociales y Sexuales – Somos Identidad y El Instituto sobre Raza, Igualdad y Derechos Humanos – Raza e Igualdad:

  • RECHAZAMOS los actos transfobicos que se han presentado al interior de la Universidad del Valle.
  • SOLICITAMOS que se activen los mecanismos de protección establecidos dentro de la Universidad del Valle, para investigar y sancionar a las, los y/o les culpables, pues estan atentado contra la integridad y la dignidad de las personas trans, a la vez que desconocen los valores y principios que la Universidad de Valle pregrona.
  • ABOGAMOS por que se respete, proteja y posibilite el uso y disfrute de TODOS los espacios públicos universitarios, incluyendo el uso de los servicios sanitarios. Una mujer trans hoy corre el riesgo de ser violentada tanto en los baños destinados para mujeres, como en aquellos destinados para hombres sin contar con las garantías de seguridad que la Universidad tiene la obligación de proporcionar.
  • SOLICITAMOS se abran espacios para la concertación de acciones concretas para la implementación de los puntos 67 al 70 de los Acuerdos de la Mesa Local firmados el 29 de enero 2020, entre los estudiantes (representados por sus delegados ante los consejos superior, académico, de facultades e institutos), las directivas de la universidad y la Gobernación del Valle del Cauca, que versan sobre las violencias de Género, diversidad sexual y/o identidad de género.

Además,

  • PONEMOS A SU DISPOSICIÓN nuestros oficios, de ser necesarios, para posibilitar espacios de intercambio de propuestas y ser veedores del cumplimento desde la institucionalidad. Tenemos toda la capacidad de aportar y construir en conjunto desde el Centro de Estudios de Género y el Grupo Campus Diverso con los que trabaja Somos Identidad.
  • ACOMPAÑAREMOS a las personas trans que los deseen y lo requieran, entendiendo que son personas cuyas luchas y reivindicaciones no necesitan ser tuteladas, ya que cuentan con voces potentes y todo el poder de argumentación y agencia necesario para visiblizar sus demandas.

La Universidad del Valle, la más importante universidad pública del suroccidente colombiano, que recibe un número elevado de estudiantes del Pacifico Sur, no puede permitirse actos discriminatorios contra ningún grupo poblacional, es por ello por lo que invitamos una vez más al dialogo y el respeto por la diferencia. Somos una sociedad llamada a construir y caminar aprendiendo a respetar y convivir.

1 Información de Grupo Campus Diverso, Universidad del Valle.

2 Declaraciones recogidas en el informe sobre la situación de los Derechos Humanos de las personas negras/afro LBGTI, Somos Identidad – Santiago de Cali – Colombia. 2019

Raza e Igualdad celebra el nombramiento de personas trans en cargos públicos en Colombia y condena actos de discriminación basados en género u orientación sexual

On December 26, 2019, the mayor-elect of Manizales, a city in the Colombian department of Caldas, announced that the well-known trans activist Matilda Gonzalez would lead the city’s Office of Women’s and Gender Affairs. Gonzalez holds a law degree from the University of the Andes and a Master of Laws in international law from American University. She has worked for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)’s Rapporteurship on the Rights of LGBTI People, the LGBTI rights organization Colombia Diversa and the Office of Childhood and Adolescence in the Colombian Family Welfare Institute.  In addition, she has consulted for the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) and for the International Network of Civil Liberties Organizations (INCLO).

In another groundbreaking appointment, the mayor-elect of Bogotá recently named Deysi Johana Olarte Navarro as the city’s Deputy Director of LGBTI Affairs. As a political scientist at the National University of Colombia, Deisy studied gender-based violence, national and international policies on transgender issues. She is also recognized for her extensive career as a grassroots activist, working with trans people in Kennedy, Ciudad Bolívar and Santa Fe, which are all among Bogotá’s most marginalized areas.

In Colombia, transgender people not only suffer daily acts of direct violence and discrimination but also face prejudices that limit their access to work, education, and health. In turn, they suffer criminalization, segregation, marginalization, and poverty. The appointments of these trans women represent breakthroughs for equity, diversity, and inclusion. As directors of important public bodies, Ms. Gonzalez and Ms. Olarte will have the power to formulate and implement public policies that seek to guarantee the rights of women and LGBTI people. Race and Equality celebrates and encourages the appointment of people with diverse gender identities to executive positions. Such appointments are an opportunity to transform society’s image of what is possible, put the human right to political participation into practice, and advance the rights of the entire LGBTI population in Colombia.

However, there is still much to do. Conservative groups in Manizales responded to Ms. Gonzalez appointment with a campaign that filed more than 2,500 petitions to the Mayor’s Office asking for her dismissal.[1] The groups claim that Matilda is not suitable for the role because she was not ‘born biologically as a woman,’ a discriminatory argument ignoring the reality that there are many different possibilities for gender identity. Women’s life experiences, including their experiences of gender, are all different, making it impossible to judge their gender based only on the sex assigned to them at birth. Several bodies, including the Colombian Constitutional Court,[2] have recognized that a person’s internal and individual experience of gender differs from biological sex and that an environment which prevents someone from expressing their gender identity violates their dignity and their right to freedom of expression.

Race and Equality rejects any form of discrimination that seeks to limit the rights of transgender people and urges national, regional, and local leaders to appoint people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities to public office, especially to the offices responsible for promoting and guaranteeing the rights of the LGBTI population.

[1] Conservative groups request the resignation of the Women’s Secretary of Manizales: https://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/otras-ciudades/grupos-conservadores-piden-renuncia-de-matilda-gonzalez-en-manizales-452142

[2] See Colombian Constitutional Court decisions T-143 (2018), T-804 (2014), T-363 (2016), T-476 (2014) and T-562 (2013), among others.

Postula al curso gratuito sobre herramientas para la argumentación penal en casos de asesinatos de personas LGBT en Latinoamérica y el Caribe

En alianza con la Red Regional de Información sobre Violencias contra Personas LGBTI en América Latina y el Caribe (Sin Violencia LGBTI); Raza e Igualdad participa de la construcción del curso virtual “Cuando el prejuicio mata” una herramienta virtual que busca fortalecer las capacidades jurídicas de fiscales, abogadas y abogados que litigan casos de violencia contra personas LGBTI, para poder impulsar los procesos penales, promover el acceso a la justicia y combatir la impunidad.

El curso fue diseñado por FLACSO Argentina, a partir de contenidos construidos por Raza e Igualdad en cabeza de su oficial enlace para los derechos LGBTI en América Latina y el Caribe, Mauricio Noguera;  ex fiscal colombiano que direccionó el primer equipo de investigaciones de violencias contra población LGBTI en Colombia.

Esta “Herramientas para la argumentación penal en casos de asesinatos de personas LGBTI en América Latina y el Caribe” se trata de una iniciativa regional que se enfocará en el impulso de procesos penales por homicidios contra personas LGBTI e incluirá casos, estándares y estrategias que le pueda servir a cualquier persona que litigue en este contexto en América Latina y el Caribe, por lo que será útil independientemente del marco normativo de cada país.

El curso, cuyas inscripciones estarán abiertas hasta el 25 de enero de 2020, es gratuito y 100% virtual, se realizará en español y será certificado por FLACSO .

Una vez cerrado el periodo de inscripciones, un comité evaluador revisará los perfiles de todas las personas inscritas y seleccionarán a las/os mejores candidatas/os para la realización del curso. La decisión será comunicada a más tardar el 3 de febrero de 2020.

Es de destacar que, aunque el curso está abierto al público, se promoverá la participación de personas que trabajen en los países que hacen parte de la Red: Bolivia, Brasil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Perú, El Salvador y República Dominicana. Así mismo, si bien está dirigido a abogadas/os principalmente, pueden aplicar personas y/o activistas que estén vinculadas directamente al litigio de casos de personas LGBTI.

Para postulaciones ingresar y diligenciar el siguiente formulario: lgbti.espaciovirtual.org 

CERD recomienda a Colombia recopilar información fiable sobre población afrodescendiente

The UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) issued a recommendation to the Colombian State to adopt an appropriate methodology that ensures “accurate and trustworthy” data statistics are collected on the Afro-Colombian, Black, Palenquera & Raizal population, for its next population census.

The recommendation was presented alongside more than 40 other recommendations published in a follow-up document to the CERD country review, held on November 27 and 28 in Geneva, during its 100th period of sessions.  During the review, the Committee carried out an extensive review of the level of compliance of commitments carried by the State since its last review in 2015 that seek the eradication of any form of racial discrimination and racism in the country.

With respect to the 2018 Population Census, the Committee expressed concern that the data published on the Black, Afro-Colombian, Palenquera and Raizal Communities “doesn’t accurately reflect” the reality – given that the final results present nearly a 31% decrease in the specified population with respects to the figures of the 2005 Census. The CERD Committee stressed that the State must “ensure that the criteria for self-identification be applied and collected appropriately.”

This issue was precisely shared to the Commitee by Colombian civil society organizations during the review in November, calling it a “statistical genocide” against Afro-descendant populations. Civil society also stressed that the numbers published in 2018 further deepen the levels of social invisibility for these communities, and seriously limit the possibility to create public policies that can transform their condition of structural exclusion.

Reparations to Victims and the Ethnic Chapter

Another recommendation from the CERD Committee to the State was to conduct “extensive and effective investigations to process and sanction those responsible for violations of human rights committed against members of indigenous and Afro-descendant communities affected by the armed conflict.

The violence in Colombia, which continues to persist even after the signing of the Peace Accords, has created a context of risk for indigenous and Afro-descendant communities. In particular, the Committee expressed its concern at the increase in paramilitary intrusion into ethnic communities’ territories, the selective killings of Afro-descendant and indigenous community leaders, the increase of internal and mass forced displacement and the lack of protection given to these communities and the continued recruitment of children by non-state military actors.

With these issues in mind, the Committee urged the Colombian State to implement the “necessary means to ensure an integral reparation to the victims [of the conflict,] and to guarantee the distribution of necessary resources.”

In addition, the Committee expressed concern about the lack of implementation of the Ethnic Chapter of the Peace Accords and recommended that it be implemented by way of appropriate financing and through the participation of members from indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, particularly women. The recommendation then adds that “the processes of leadership selection in indigenous and Afro-descendant communities be respected.”

In Colombia, the situation of violence, vulnerability and marginalization continue to affect ethnic communities directly and disproportionately, as seen by the alarming levels of social leaders killed, threatened and displaced from their territories, this according to Colombian human rights defenders.

Other recommendations

  • To ensure that all the cases of racial discrimination, xenophobia, hate speech or violence for racial reasons be investigated and that those responsible for these violations be trialed and correspondingly sanctioned.
  • To categorize as a crime any diffusion of ideas that promote or justify racial hate and to prohibit organizations that promote racial discrimination and/or instigate it – as a way to comply with the previous recommendations of the Committee,
  • To increase efforts to prevent and eliminate the forced recruitment of indigenous and Afro-descendant children and youth by non-state armed actors and to ensure the application of means to de-mobilize and reintegrate them into society.
  • To guarantee protection of indigenous and Afro-descendant people against discrimination from State entities and government employees, as well as any other person, group or organization.
  • To increase efforts to combat the multiple forms of discrimination to which Afro-descendant and indigenous women are subject to, in order to ensure that they have adequate and effective access to justice, work, education and health (including reproductive health,) regardless of cultural and linguistic differences.
  • To adopt the necessary measures to prevent sexual violence against indigenous and Afro-descendant women and to guarantee victim’s access to adequate assistance and methods of protection that are both effective and culturally respectful.

Statement of Declaration

Race and Equality urges the Colombian State to take note of the recommendations from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which seek to guarantee respect for the rights of the Afro-descendant and indigenous population in Colombia. We also urge the Colombian State to work alongside Afro-descendant civil society as the only true mechanism that guarantees participation, inclusion and true dialogue seeking to overcome the barriers of discrimination, racism and marginalization – structural conditions as a result of the invisibility of acts of discrimination which are still present in today’s social fabric.

Likewise, we call on civil society organizations to follow-up on each of the recommendations made by CERD, so that their statements can be used as accountability for the rights of all ethnic groups in Colombia.  

Con la participación de organizaciones de la sociedad civil afrocolombiana, Colombia es revisado por el Comité Antirracismo de la ONU

Colombia was reviewed by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) during its 100th session between November 27-28. The Committee conducted a detailed review on the level of compliance of commitments made by the Colombian government towards the eradication of any form of discrimination and racism in the country by using the State’s responses to the recommendations made to it in its last review in 2015.

“Since its last review of CERD in 2015, the Colombian government has not delivered the necessary response which guarantees the rights of Black, Afro-Colombian, Palenqueras and Raizales (NAPR) communities,” stated an alternative report presented to the Committee by civil society organizations, including the Association of Displaced Afro-Colombians (AFRODES), the National Conference of Afrocolombian Organizations (CNOA), the Chocó Solidarity Inter-Ethnic Forum, the Racial Justice Collective, the National Network of Afro-Colombian Women “Kambiri” and the Consultancy for Human Rights and Forced Displacement (CODHES.)

UN CERD rapporteur member Mayte Verdugo was in charge of carefully reviewing the official report submitted by the Colombian State and of making a series of observations regarding the recognition of the rights of ethnic communities in Colombia.

Rapporteur Verdugo’s observations included: requesting the Colombian State for more information on the results of the last population census of 2018 and questioning the lack of visibility of Afro-Colombian communities in census findings; referring to the situation of Afro-Colombian women victims of the armed conflict; addressing the alarming levels of killed ethnic leaders; questioning the government’s plan to address the processes of prior consultation with ethnic peoples and finally the situation of the implementation of the peace agreement’s ethnic chapter.

DANE’s “Statistical Genocide”

The results of the 2018 National Population and Housing Census in Colombia showed alarming figures about the number of self-recognized NAPR communities, to what different media and civil society organizations have called a “statistical genocide.” The figures published by the Colombian National Department of Statistics (DANE) indicate a decrease in the self-recognized NAPR population since its last count, from 4,311,757 million in the 2005 to 2,982,224 million in 2018. This represents an abnormal decrease of more than 30% of the previous population – nearly 1.3 million self-recognized NAPR individuals.

“These figures do not represent us, and we do not accept them. They are a product of an institutional framework that has ignored the constant alerts made by Afro-descendant and indigenous ethnic organizations,” stated a CNOA press release reacting to the results. Father Emigdio, Secretary General of CNOA, also warned about the impact that these results will have on the lives of NAPR people, which will further obscure the communities and seriously affect the ability of adequate public policies being created that transform the “(structural) conditions of exclusion.”

In this regard, Rapporteur Verdugo and others CERD Commissioners questioned the State’s approach to the principle of self-identification on the 2018 census and pointed out the need to work on best practices that allow the true recognition of the NAPR people. The Colombian State admitted under-registration of the Afro-Colombian population in the results of the 2018 Census, and so it announced that state institutions will continue to work in accordance with the data collected in the 2005 census.

Colombian civil society organizations demanded that the State repeat the census for the Afro-Colombian population, as they warn about the negative effects that the lack of information may bring to ethnic groups in terms of budget allocation, visibility of the reality of the people and the need to create plans and policies for inclusion and equality for them.

“This finding is the responsibility of the Colombian state, which did not guarantee the necessary conditions that would strengthen the self-recognition question in the censuses, despite more than a decade of efforts made by the communities and the State to strengthen the processes of formation of self-identification. It is also worrisome that the National Department of Statistics has chosen to use its own research and data collection methodology, and had not shown confidence in the proposals of the NAPR communities, which included dialogue spaces such as the Inter-Ethnic Census Table that ceased to meet later having concluded the census operation in 2018,” adds Father Emigdio.

Lack of Implementation of the Peace Agreements and Ethnic Chapter

“Despite the existence of legal frameworks as well as advances in recognition of the differential impact of the armed conflict towards the NAPR population, there have not yet been significant changes in structural factors that positively affect ethnic peoples,” warns the alternative report delivered by Colombian civil society.

Similarly, the Ethnic Chapter of the Peace Agreements between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP) designates the ethnic population as “seriously affected by the internal armed conflict” and offers a differential approach to the provisions necessary for the protection and reparation of the populations victims of the conflict. However, the situation of vulnerability, marginalization and violence continues to directly and disproportionately affect ethnic communities, resulting in an alarming number of leaders who have been killed, threatened and displaced from their territories.

Faced with this, the Colombian State admitted that there certainly is a worrying situation caused by illegal drug trafficking groups that threatens the lives of human rights defenders. In this regard, CERD Commissioners asked the Colombian State to take the necessary measures to guarantee the life of community leaders, recalling its obligation to protect the principles of life and the integrity of any person.

In addition, CERD members requested information from the State on the application of Law 70, the processes of prior consultation and land restitution for Afro-descendant and indigenous communities. The Committee pointed out the need to understand the presence of foreign and extractive companies in declared ancestral territories and the multiple denunciations of communities in these territories against the violence produced because of the presence of these foreign groups.

Collective reparation for Afro-Colombian women victims of the conflict

Colombia continues to adopt insufficient collective reparation processes for Afro-descendant women victims of the armed conflict. The case of the Coordination of Afro-Colombian Displaced Women in Resistance (COMADRE) is emblematic in the sense that despite being recognized as subject to collective reparation through Order 092/2008 of the Constitutional Court, the implementation of the reparation plan under the Decree 4635 has not advanced properly. Even worse, the implementation of the plan lacks a gender approach that considers the level of vulnerability of women.

In this matter, Commissioner Chung requested the Colombian State to explain the information contained in the report regarding sexual violence during the armed conflict, more specifically the types of violence, investigations, punishments and apologies of the State. Rapporteur Mayte Verdugo expressed her concern about the high number of cases of sexual violence against Afro-Colombian women and adolescents.

Civil society recommendations to the State of Colombia

During an informal dialogue between members of civil society organizations and CERD representatives, a series of recommendations were made which seek necessary and urgent improvements in the conditions of ethnic populations in Colombia, precisely because of the imminent state of vulnerability of NAPR populations.

Civil society issued recommendations to the Colombian National Department of Statistics to correct the results of the 2018 census regarding the under-registration of the NAPR population in order to mitigate the possible negative impacts against a population that has historically and disproportionately suffered the impacts of under-registration and public policies. In regard to the Peace Accords and the Ethnic Chapter, they urge the full implementation of it and of all legal frameworks that seek to advance the processes of restitution and protection of the rights of Afro-Colombian communities, particularly women. Finally, the Colombian state is urged to implement extraordinary measures to guarantee collective reparation of NAPR women victims of the armed conflict and to advance the established processes with a gender approach.

Watch here broadcast of Colombia CERD Session

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