New data shows that femicides in Colombia have reached their highest level in seven years.
The Colombian Observatory of Femicides (OFC), an NGO tracking violence against women, registered 745 gender-motivated murders of women across the country from January to October 31 this year.
Following this grim announcement, The Bogotá Post spoke with civil society experts to find out what the numbers really mean and what solutions might exist to Colombia’s femicide problem.
Have femicides really increased?
The short answer is – we do not really know.
María de los Ángeles Vega Delgado, Director of Justicia Para Todas (JPT), an organization that offers legal representation to victims of femicide, cast doubt on the OFC’s figures.
“It’s important to highlight that in Colombia, official data on femicides does not exist,” said Vega Delgado.
She asserted that a lack of reliable statistics provided by the government “impedes a detailed and rigorous analysis of the situation.”
Lina Buchely, Director of the Observatory for the Equity of Women (OEM), a think tank that focuses on women’s rights and public policy in Colombia, also questioned the figures.
She explains that statistics about femicides do not necessarily reflect the scale of violence against women.
“There’s a common argument in interpretations of femicide that says that… [they] have not increased but that we have instead learned to recognise them better,” said Buchely.
According to her, the higher numbers are likely the product of greater awareness.
“The reality is that we have learned to recognize [femicides] better, because women have always been murdered,” she explained.
Buchely suggests that many killings escape official statistics or are inadequately categorized, meaning that the figure of 745 cases is likely much lower than the real number.
“We’re at a juncture where we recognize femicide better but we must also use this recognition to sound the alarm,” added Buchely.
What are the main causes of femicides in Colombia?
Given the high levels of femicide in Colombia, it is important to understand the underlying causes.
Buchely explains that economic conditions are an important factor.
She describes a correlation between financial hardship and domestic violence brought on by a breakdown in traditional family roles, as women must work to provide for their families.
“Women’s departure into the workforce, even if it’s informal, has always led to retaliation,” said Buchely.
But she also stressed that it is too complex to provide simple explanations of violence on a national scale.
Justicia Para Todas echoed this view, citing the deep-rooted patriarchal norms in Colombian culture.
“It is crucial to not just consider the figures but also the social and cultural context surrounding this problem,” said Vega Delgado.
Femicide is, as Buchely describes, “a tragic end-point” that follows other forms of gender violence ingrained in society.
“It is very important to link femicide with indicators of gender violence in the workplace, sexual harassment in the street, [and] domestic violence,” she explained.
Buchely insists that femicide is not a standalone issue but the most extreme product of a broader culture that subordinates women.
What, if anything, is the answer?
Despite the complexity and deep-rooted causes of femicide, Buchely and Vega Delgado maintain that there are solutions to the problem.
The first step is better data collection, according to both experts.
“The state must commit to improving the compilation and analysis of data about violence against women in order to develop effective public policies,” commented Vega Delgado.
With adequate data, government and civil society organisations can make better decisions on policies to reduce femicide.
But Buchely also stressed that data gathering should not simply concentrate on the number of femicides or cases of domestic violence.
She argues for a shift in focus away from the end product towards the reasons behind cases of femicide.
“Speaking more about the phenomenon, understanding better what lies behind it, could more effectively allow us to transform the situation for women in Colombia,” said Buchely.
She criticised traditional thinking that views femicides as tragic but exceptional phenomena.
Instead, Buchely believes that discussing why a man killed a woman, “whether it be what she wore, the fact that she got a job, that she left her husband, that she cheated,” would show that femicides are the product of a broader misogynistic culture.
She believes this shift goes hand in hand with a move away from what she dubs “punitive populism,” where the state is tough on perpetrators of femicide but does little in the way of prevention.
The Director of Justicia Para Todas also emphasised the need to shift away from simply punishing femicides once they have happened.
“It is troubling to see how efforts to prevent violence against women are not being sufficiently enacted. Meanwhile, there continues to be a focus on sanctions once the damage has already been done,” said Vega Delgado.
Instead of punitive measures that fail to stop femicides, both organisations call for a combination of social programmes and institutional reforms to combat femicides.
Buchely believes that public policies to promote women’s financial independence are one way to break cycles of violence where women become trapped in abusive relationships.
She also cited existing projects that offer helplines for men who are unable to deal with their anger, providing an outlet that might deter them from violence.
Vega Delgado argues for an integrated programme of education, sensitization and institutional reforms. She also stressed the need for victims of domestic violence to be given lifelines including shelters and legal aid to protect them from abusive relationships.
While the solution is far from simple, organisations like the OEM and JPT are spearheading policies and reforms that are moving Colombia in the right direction.
