World news story

British Embassy in Colombia commemorates international women day

As long as violence and discrimination continues, our efforts to achieve global security and development will be undermined, affecting the lives of millions of women and girls worldwide.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Discrimination and violence against women and girls remains one of the most widespread human rights abuses. Tackling violence against women and girls, both, domestically and internationally is a priority for the UK and the British Embassy in Bogotá was proud to launch the Time to Act campaign in Colombia during the visit of Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Building on the momentum generated at that event, and the commitment shown by civil society and the Colombian government, the UK will bring a team of experts to Colombia in April to gather feedback on an International Protocol for the Investigation and Documentation of Sexual Violence. The protocol will be a guideline for best practice for government and civil society groups who work to prevent sexual violence. It will be presented in a global summit in London in June where the UK and its partners including Colombia will confirm their commitment to ending sexual violence in conflict once and for all, and beginning to tackle this long overlooked abuse.

Published 8 March 2014