Outcome COL_D_3.2

The national government and territorial governments implement gender equality policies, plans, programmes and projects with the support of the United Nations Country Team and aligned to national State guidelines

At the same time, UN Women, as a part of its normative mandate, supported the National Congress to pass 20 new laws on women’s rights , including the bill that prohibits Child Marriage and Early Unions in Colombia , a milestone in the advancement on the commitment of Colombia to align its laws with international standards and achieve the goals of SDG 5, a law on gender parity in leadership roles within public institutions (Law 2424/2024) , on the recognition of women searching missing persons ( Law 2364/2024 ), and on maternity leave for women in politics ( Law 2436/2024 ). The Colombian government also issued the decree for the Feminist Foreign Policy and the on the governance of the National Care System , with UN Women contribution. Moreover, in 2024, we experienced an impressive 40.94% increase in public project markers that utilized the Gender Budget Tracker and 25 new Local Development Plans embracing a gender-sensitive approach were created, reflecting the essential support provided by UN Women through its dedicated gender budgeting and public management strategy. (direct contribution to UNSDCF pillar 3 and 5, SDG 5.1, 5.2, 5.4, 5.5, 5.7, 5.9). The synergies of UN Women's triple mandate are reflected in efforts to advance the care agenda through the Caring Societies project in partnership with Canada. In the normative sphere, support has been provided to the National Government for the formulation of the CONPES Document for the National Care Policy, promoting a society where care is a pillar of sustaining life, ensuring rights, and strengthening collective and community care practices. Un Women also supported the Ministry of Equality and Equity in the launch of the National Care System . During the event, the first results of the System were presented as a comprehensive policy that recognizes care as a fundamental right. In the programmatic sphere, support is being provided to design and implement local care systems in 8 territories. These efforts aim to develop solutions that promote the recognition, redistribution, and reduction of care work, which is predominantly performed by women and girls. In terms of coordination, collaboration among UN System agencies has been fostered, alongside their participation in activities led by the Ministry of Equality and Equity. This ensures the inclusion of community care organizations and territorial processes with their own care practices, further strengthening the care agenda across various territories. Additionally, as a result of UN Women’s support, the national government has acquired knowledge and technical tools to identify the needs of community care organizations that are part of the social care structure in Colombia. Through UN Women’s technical assistance, 34 territorial governments (14 departments and 20 municipalities) have strengthened their technical capacity to formulate their local care systems or public policies that include initiatives for both caregivers and individuals requiring care. Similarly, thanks to training workshops held in 14 municipalities in Colombia, knowledge about care systems has increased. A total of 121 people have gained greater awareness of the care workload, and 110 people have improved their understanding of care systems. These individuals represent civil society organizations, the public and private sectors, and academia.

The national government and territorial governments, in particular category 5 and 6 municipalities, implement gender equality policies, plans, programmes and projects with the support of the United Nations Country Team and in accordance with national government guidelines (UNSDCF 3.2)

In 2022, UN Women Colombia made significant progress on outcome 3.2 (on track). With the support of Sweden, UN Women contributed to a multi-stakeholder effort for greater women’s political participation in elections , which led to the election of 29.2% of women in Congress, (19% elected in previous ones), as well as to position the gender agenda in the new Congress. Still with Sweden, UN Women provided technical support for the institutional redesign of the National Gender Mechanism, which contributed to the creation of the new Ministry of Equality . In addition, the Office supported the incorporation of gender in the new National Development Plan 2022 - 2026 , by promoting women’s role in the participatory mechanism, as well as by providing key data: “ Women and Men in Colombia ”. Thanks to its alliance with the Swedish Embassy, a multi-stakeholder effort coordinated by the Gender Roundtable of International Cooperation (MGCI) was promoted (including training strategies, capacity building, communication, and partnerships) which contributed to almost 30% of women being elected in the new Congress. In the same framework of its alliance with Sweden, UN Women provided inputs to the Legal Commission for Gender Equity of the Congress of the Republic (Women’s Caucus) for the analysis and discussion of structural legal reforms that include parity and violence against women in politics, the gender approach in the Tax reform and the creation of the Ministry of Equality. UN Women also provided support to the National Congress for the inclusion of the gender approach in its legislative activity through capacity-building strategies and the provision of technical inputs. As a part of the development of the National Development Plan 2022-26, UN Women provided the National Government with inputs for the inclusion of the gender approach such as the situation of women in the sports sector, women and girls with disabilities, the gender gaps between men and women and the priorities defined with women's organizations and planning advisers. The national government, in alliance with UN Women and the Embassy of Canada, counts on a strategy to promote public management with a gender approach in prioritized sectors to accelerate the closing of gender gaps. Territorial governments have made public investment projects visible through the implementation of the Gender Budget Tracker as a strategic tool for the equality agenda. UN Women also supported the production of inputs from Civil Society Organization for the development of a Fiscal Policy with a gender approach-. UN Women –in alliance with Bogotá’s Mayor Office—contributed to the development of a District Care System in Bogotá D.C, as well as to the implementation of a public management strategy with a gender approach through the development of the District Distinction Bogotá in Equality. With the technical support of UN Women and strategic allies, 7 sixth-category municipalities in Nariño (Barbacoas, Leiva, Policarpa, Cumbitara) and Cauca (Buenos Aires, Caldono, Piendamó) received technical support to incorporate the gender approach into their planning and budgeting processes with the support of UN Women and KOICA. Also, as a part of the agreement implemented and funded by the Pasto Mayor's Office and Nariño Local Government, the gender perspective was strengthened in local public policies.

The national government and territorial governments, in particular category 5 and 6 municipalities, implement gender equality policies, plans, programmes and projects with the support of the United Nations Country Team and in accordance with national government guidelines (UNSDCF 3.2)

In 2023, UN Women Colombia made significant progress on outcome 3.2 (on track). With the support of Sweden, UN Women contributed to women’s political participation by developing a certified 100-hour training on Colombia’s political system, political planning and strategies, electoral management, and mainstreaming of the women’s rights perspective. More than 1.000 women enhanced their political leadership skills for the local elections by completing this course . Additionally, UN Women organized the National Forum of Elected Women and three Local Forum of Elected Women in the departments of Cauca, Nariño, and Chocó. These are spaces in which women exchanged experiences and strengthened networks for the advancement of the gender equality and women’s rights agenda, reaching 120 participating women at a national level and 189 participating women in the local instances (100 women in Nariño, 60 women in Cauca, and 29 women in Chocó). Still with Sweden’s support, UN Women promoted the increase of awareness of the Congress of the Republic on subrogate pregnancies and international standards on the rights of women and girls in the work towards the eradication of child marriage and early unions. With the support of KOICA and Canada, 360 public investment projects were marked with the Gender Budget Tracker as a result of the technical support received by 20 local government, including 3 governorates and 17 municipalities. Alongside, more than 350 representatives from Government institutions, civil society organizations and collegiate bodies have stronger technical capacities for planning and budgeting with a gender approach, considering the upcoming definition of 2024s budget, accountability processes, and handovers to new administrations. The CO also provided technical and financial support for the participatory formulation of the Care CONPES , and to enhance the capacities of the Care Manager’s Office of the Vice-presidency of the Republic to position the joint agenda for the “future of care in the country”. Regarding women’s economic empowerment, UN Women continued to work with the WEPs initiative, reaching 112 enterprises committed to the principles. Moreover, worked in alliance with International Finance Corporation (IFC) and UN Global Compact-Colombia to promote the participation of women-owned small and medium businesses in the project " Sourcing2Equal ", increasing their access to corporate procurement opportunities. With Sweden’s support, the CO continued to support the Empathy Store (Tienda de la Empatía) –an initiative that link women’s productive projects with commercial opportunities—, while with PRM the CO consolidated eight Economic Impulse Labs to support migrant women and women from host communities. Finally, in 2023, the CO worked towards the elimination of gender-based violence through the enhancement of the technical capacities of two (2) national institutions (General Attorney’s Office and Presidential Council for Women’s Equality - CPEM). Regarding the General Attorney’s Office, the CO supported the updating of the “Gender-based violence against women and feminicides” virtual training, while supporting the CPEM in consolidating the Articulating Mechanism for the Comprehensive Approach to GBV. At a local level, UN Women has sustained its work with the 7 cities (Medellín, Bogotá, Cali, Popayán, Villvicencio, Pasto and Barranquilla) that are current partners of the Safe Cities Program, and developed a diagnosis on the response capacity regarding GBV for 7 municipalities (Tumaco in Nariño; and 6 cities in lower Cauca Antioquia - Cáceres, Caucasia, El Bagre, Nechí, Tarazá and Zaragoza).