Physical and sexual and gender-based violence against children is a pervasive issue in Colombia, yet it continues to be ignored at a national level. According to research conducted by Together for Girls, 27% of girls and 38% of boys experience physical violence prior to age 18, and 15% of girls and 8% of boys experience sexual violence prior to age 18 in Colombia.

Colombia’s first ever report on child abuse was published in 2019, and stated that nearly 42% of young Colombians had been victims of physical, sexual or psychological abuse as a child. Further, between January and August 2023, the police registered over 8,000 sexual crimes against minors – although this is likely to be severely underreported.

In Colombia, children face the additional issue of recruitment into illegal armed groups. This issue has been ongoing since the conflict began decades ago. According to official figures, nearly 18,000 children were recruited into these groups between 1958 and 2020. The Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca reported that in the first six months of 2023, over 150 cases of forced recruitment of minors had been recorded, of at least 50% were girls. The Association of Indigenous Councils, in the north of Cauca, reported 272 cases of children and adolescents recruited in 2021, 80% of them girls. Of this number, 39 were subsequently killed.

The continuous militarisation of Indigenous territory, sexual and gender-based violence from illegal armed groups and a lack of opportunity, accumulates in a lack of hope for Indigenous girls and young women – there has been a reported increase in suicides among Indigenous girls and women aged 12-22.

Recognising this critical issue, ABColombia celebrates the Colombian government’s recent success in convening and hosting the First Global Ministerial Conference on ending violence against children, which took place on 7 and 8 November 2024 in Bogotá.

We particularly welcome the UK Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean’s, Baroness Jenny Chapman, participation in the Conference. Baroness Chapman referenced that the UK will be “scaling up” its support with a new commitment of up to £5m which is to be implemented by increasing funding for grassroots and girl-centred organisations.

“Any secure, peaceful society depends on the wellbeing of its young people, who must be able to achieve their full potential without fear of violence” – Baroness Chapman

Baroness Chapman also referenced the upcoming 200-year anniversary of UK-Colombia diplomatic relations in 2025, emphasising Colombia’s importance as a partner to the UK.