For the first time ever, Colombian LGBT organisations will go to the evaluation of the CEDAWThe aim of the meeting, which takes place every five years, is to take stock of how the Colombian state is progressing in relation to this international convention, which seeks to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women.

Every five years Colombia goes to the dock to evaluate how it is doing in implementing the recommendations made during the CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women). Among the shadow reports made by social organisations, there was one led by LGBT organisations that seeks to raise awareness about the rights of lesbians, bisexual and transgender women in the country.

This important evaluation, carried out every 5 years, coincides with a post-conflict country and the implementation of a peace agreement with differential measures, which, in principle, took into account hate crimes in the framework of the armed conflict.

The report, carried out by the NGOs Colombia Diversa, GAAT y Various IncorrectThe report analyses the different forms of discrimination in order to present them to 23 experts, who will analyse the observations and issue a series of binding obligations to the Colombian state.

The report, which contains 6 thematic axes, points out the lack of implementation of the differential approaches, set out in the peace agreement, proposed for LBT women. In fact, according to Colombia Diversa, of the 41 measures proposed to redress the harm suffered by LGBT people, only 25 were approved and have not yet been implemented.

Likewise, the post-conflict scenario has generated a wave of violence against women and social leaders in various territories nationwide, which has had repercussions for LBT women. According to figures from Colombia Diversa, out of 34 LGBT social leaders murdered in 2012-2017, 16 were women.

In addition to presenting this context, the report also highlights other key issues affecting lesbian, bisexual and transgender women: the risk to the work of women human rights defenders, the barriers they face in accessing basic rights such as health and work, the lack of budget to implement measures to achieve equality in different areas such as politics and education, and the obstacles that same-sex couples face in exercising their rights.

In the face of these inequalities experienced by lesbian, bisexual and transgender women, the authors of the report state that "the persistence of prejudice, the presence of armed groups and the socio-economic exclusion faced by many LBT people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity makes them more vulnerable to multiple violations of their rights and acts of violence".

Thus, social organisations will be in Geneva seeking that the experts take into account their shadow reports so that on 19 February they can issue recommendations to the Colombian state, which are binding and must be complied with by Colombia.

If you would like to know the results of this report carried out together with

GAAT and Various Incorrect, click here.