31st March 2025

Urgent action needed to eradicate female genital mutilation in Colombia

End harmful practices Latin America and the Caribbean

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This policy brief urges the Colombian Congress to pass specific legislation to prevent, address, and eradicate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Drawing on survivor voices, national data, and international best practices, it highlights the urgent need for a culturally grounded, rights-based, and community-led response to end FGM in Colombia.

What’s inside the report?

  • Updated data on the practice of FGM in Colombia and its global context.
  • Testimony from an Emberá Indigenous leader and FGM survivor.
  • Analysis of the draft law and recommendations to strengthen it.

Who’s it for?

  • Decision-makers in the Colombian Congress and their technical teams

Key recommendations

  • Pass specific legislation recognizing FGM as a form of gender-based violence.
  • Ensure comprehensive, culturally sensitive support and reparations for survivors.
  • Promote community-led and educational strategies to shift social norms without criminalization.
  • Strengthen data systems and inter-institutional coordination for an effective response.

About

31 March 2025

15 pages

Languages

ES

Classification

Factsheets
End harmful practices
Latin America and the Caribbean

More information

For more information, contact Bárbara Jiménez-Santiago, Equality Now’s Regional Representative, Latin America and the Caribbean at BJimenezSantiago@equalitynow.org.

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