Colombia – Women, Peace and Security: Lessons Learnt and the Way Ahead

On the 1st of July 2026, the APPG on Women, Peace and Security and the APPG Human Rights Group, in collaboration with ABColombia and CAFOD, hosted an event in Parliament ‘Colombia – Women, Peace and Security: Lessons Learnt and the Way Ahead’.

Chaired by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger CBE (Co-Chair of the APPG on Women, Peace and Security, the event heard from a range of speakers: Gerardina Cardoso Aragón (woman defender working with the Catholic Diocese of San Vicente del Caguán, FUNVIPAS), H.E. Nancy Benítez Páez (Minister Plenipotentiary and Deputy Head of Mission of Colombia to the UK), and Louise Winstanley (Programme and Advocacy Manager at ABColombia).

The 2016 Colombian peace agreement was supported internationally. The agreement was ambitious and includes strong gender components, however implementation has been weak, with more progress needed.

It was shared that supporting communities in Colombia has been essential, and that women are broadly recognised in society as peacekeepers and heads of the family. Many women activists advocate for their communities at the local level, and others work within the Government, however, women in Colombia still face significant levels of violence and carry significant burdens because of their roles supporting communities.

Speakers reflected on Colombia's landmark Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan (NAP). The Colombian NAP was a significant milestone and was developed with over 15,000 women from across the country, recognised as one of the post participatory processes for developing a NAP globally. The NAP was approved legally in November 2025, and a monitoring committee was established, however implementation remains extremely challenging and depends heavily on the allocation of institutional resources.

Challenges for the peace agreement and WPS NAP are ongoing against a backdrop of political change in Colombia and conflict continuing in some areas. Colombia recently elected a new President Abelardo de la Espriella who will assume office on the 7th of August. The president-elect has used significant misogynistic and sexist rhetoric and has been accused of political violence based on gender, raising concerns for how women’s safety and the role of women in civil and political life will be approached in the future.

Looking forward, speakers were clear that the UK has a vital role to play, including by prioritising Colombia in its own NAP refresh, sustaining support for women-led organisations, and backing the renewal of the UN mandate for Colombia this October.