In the context of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 25), Colombia’s Partido Alianza Verde (Green Alliance Party in English), vowed to comply with the Party’s new covenant for the prevention and punishment of gender violence. (https://www.alianzaverde.org.co/mujeres-verdes/pacto-verde-por-las-mujeres)

Though the covenant was only signed by the Party’s Commission on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment on November 25, a formal event was scheduled for December 10 for the covenant to be signed by the Party as a collective. This symbolic act was meant by Colombia’s Partido Alianza Verde as an honour to the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” international campaign, which the Colombian Greens proudly took part in this year.

The “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” campaign is an international campaign born almost three decades ago under the leadership of feminist activists to challenge violence against women and girls. Each year, November 25th marks the beginning of this annual international campaign, which is celebrated around the globe from November 25th (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to December 10th (World Human Rights Day). The campaign’s dates were designed to emphasize the harsh reality that gender-based violence constitutes the most widespread violation of human rights throughout the world.

By signing the Party’s new green covenant for women, Partido Alianza Verde commits to constructing a collective of protocols for prevention and response to gender violence across all Party lines, as well as to making gender equality “a guiding, transversal and priority principle in all the actions, initiatives, and decisions that stem from the Green Alliance Party.” (https://www.alianzaverde.org.co/mujeres-verdes/pacto-verde-por-las-mujeres)

In addition, the Party also commits to denouncing and reporting acts of gender violence before the competent authorities, and promises to promote women’s leadership for political participation and representation in power.

Alianza Verde’s new green covenant for women, explained by party members

Alianza Verde’s new green covenant for women represents a political commitment on the part of the Colombian Greens to the formulation and implementation of measures that will prevent, bring attention to, and sanction political violence against women. The National Commission for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment – which is made up of feminist women and women’s rights activists – has been working since its inception to promote the agenda of women’s rights and to seek equal opportunity and non-discrimination within all levels of the Alianza Verde Party.

The Party’s Commission for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment has as its general objective to promote equal rights, opportunities and strategic interests of women, fostering a process of autonomy, political empowerment – individual and collective – and equal representation in the party’s decision-making process, without discrimination on the basis of gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, race and territory (https://www.alianzaverde.org.co/lideres-verdes/mujeres).

From this general objective derive different workings meant to assist the achievement of equal rights, the most important being the maintenance of mechanisms for dialogue, advice, accompaniment, support and periodic communication with former candidates, elected officials and other colleagues and the creation of strategic alliances with other women’s organizations, political movements in defence of women’s rights and strategic interests across the country.

In this way Colombia’s Partido Alianza Verde, a member of Global Greens since 2010, takes concrete action in favour of a life free of violence for women and girls, demonstrating its commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment and paving the way for a better Colombia.

Other News From Alianza Verde

Lately, Alianza Verde has been boasting plenty of #GreenPride with regards to major accomplishments by the Colombian Greens. The Party’s latest achievement came earlier this month as three different Partido Alianza Verde leaders were awarded the “Building Dreams” prize for their contribution to the promotion of comprehensive access to care and protection services for children, adolescents and families across Colombia from a rights and equity approach (https://www.alianzaverde.org.co/noticias/orgullo-verde-por-la-premiacion-de-nuestros-alcaldes-y-gobernador).

The Colombia Líder Foundation, supported by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and the Seguros Bolívar group, awarded the “Building Dreams” (Construyendo Sueños niñez, adolescencia y familia en los planes de desarrollo 2020 – 2023) prize to three of Alianza Verde’s green elected officials in different categories. For that matter, one of the three “Building Dreams” prize recipients is a very influential woman in Alianza Verde and Colombia at large: Mrs. Claudia López, Mayoress of Bogota.

Last month Mrs. Claudia López was notably recognized by the BBC and The Economist for her outstanding work this year, in particular with regards to her management of the protracted health emergency that was generated by the coronavirus pandemic. Claudia was listed as one of the 100 most inspiring and influential women in the world; she is the only Latin American woman to receive this recognition for making a difference during 2020, a year that has been marked by “turbulent times”.

Her Party celebrated this important recognition by issuing a press release highlighting the Mayoress’ repeated appearances in international media for her remarkable work as a local leader. As the Party contends in a news article on their local website, the international media describes Claudia López as “the first female mayor of Bogotá, the capital of Colombia and the largest city in the country”.

Celebrating its very own Green Mayoress, Alianza Verde went on to describe Mrs. López as an admirable woman “who has demonstrated with wisdom, tenacity and absolute dedication, that governing hand in hand with the citizenry is possible in a country like Colombia.”

Natalia Ortiz Peñate

Born and raised in Madrid, Spain, Natalia moved to Canada as a teenager to pursue a more diverse education and a brighter future. Based in Montréal since the fall of 2016, today she is a proud McGill University graduate with a BA in Political Science and International Development Studies. Over the course of her undergraduate studies at McGill, she developed a passion for human rights advocacy and sustainable development. Owing to her political science background, she is equally interested in notions of global governance and diplomacy, and has developed a particular interest in the fields of human rights protection, poverty alleviation, and international development, all within the framework of sustainability. In the near future, she aspires to continue her education and become professionally involved in global politics and international affairs in order to help bring the change she wants to see in the world.

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