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Colombia: New Report on Women Human Rights Leaders’ Mental Health

WILPF’s Section in Colombia, LIMPAL Colombia has recently released the report titled Sintonías corporales, which looks at the mental health and psychosocial issues of women human rights leaders in Colombia.

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  • 2 min
WILPF International Secretariat
11 May 2020

WILPF’s Section in Colombia, LIMPAL Colombia has recently released the report titled Sintonías corporales (Bodily Harmonies), which looks at the mental health and psychosocial issues of women human rights leaders in Colombia. 

Women human rights defenders continue to be targeted and murdered in Colombia. In particular, people who stand up for women’s rights, small farmers, or Afro-Colombian and indigenous populations find themselves in great danger. This indisputably places a huge burden on their mental health.

The report Sintonías corporales uses resolution 1325, adopted by the United Nations Security Council in 2000, as a framework. The resolution calls on UN member states, particularly parties in conflict, to protect women’s rights and ensure their active participation in peace negotiations, conflict settlement and reconstruction. 

the cover of the report features an illustration of a purple coloured woman who arm forms the roots and trunk of a tree
The Sintonías corporales report by LIMPAL Colombia

The report is divided into an introduction, two chapters, and a conclusion. It is based on information from semi-structured interviews with seven women leaders in human rights organisations from four cities and one community throughout Colombia. The aim was twofold: establish the extent to which they have faith in resolution 1325, and identify the psychosocial issues or disorders that these women experience as a result of a specific violation of their rights, or during their work as a whole.

In summary, the report Sintonías corporales provides a unique and comprehensive qualitative analysis of the psychosocial issues and coping strategies that women human rights defenders’ face, using the resolution 1325 standards as a framework. Based on the analysis, recommendations were made for further action and a psychosocial accompaniment for women in leadership positions. This forms an important foundation for further research in the field of women’s rights as well as psychological care and support for women as victims in crisis areas.

The report is available in Spanish.

LIMPAL Colombia joined WILPF in 1998 as a Section.

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WILPF International Secretariat

WILPF International Secretariat, with offices in Geneva and New York, liaises with the International Board and the National Sections and Groups for the implementation of WILPF International Programme, resolutions and policies as adopted by the International Congress. Under the direction of the Secretary-General, the Secretariat also provides support in areas of advocacy, communications, and financial operations.

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Berit Aasen

Europe Alternate Regional Representative

Berit Aasen is a sociologist by training and has worked at the OsloMet Metropolitan University on Oslo. She has 40 years of experience in research and consultancy in development studies, including women, peace, and security, and in later years in asylum and refugee studies. Berit Aasen joined WILPF Norway five years ago. She is an alternate member of the National Board of WILPF Norway, and representing WILPF Norway in the UN Association of Norway, the Norwegian 1325 network and the Norwegian Women’s Lobby. Berit Aasen has been active in the WILPF European Liaison group and is committed to strengthening WILPF sections and membership both in Europe and relations across continents.

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Melissa Torres

VICE-PRESIDENT

Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.

Jamila Afghani

VICE-PRESIDENT

Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.

Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo

PRESIDENT

Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.

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In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region. 

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