Strengthen the resilience and protection of migrant or displaced women and girls in Colombia

Since 2014, Venezuela has been facing an unprecedented economic, social and political crisis. The global drop in oil prices, on which the Venezuelan economy was largely dependent, combined with government mismanagement, has pushed the country into the biggest recession in Western history. Shortages of food and medicine, lack of medical and social services, political repression and the resulting tensions and violence, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, have made the living conditions of the Venezuelan population unsustainable. Five million people have been forced into exile since the beginning of the crisis, almost 40% of whom have found refuge in neighbouring Colombia in hope of a better life.

But Colombia’s stability is currently affected by the difficulties in implementing the peace agreement between the state and the FARC, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, etc. The Colombian state is struggling to meet the health, education and security needs of its population, and nearly 8 million Colombians have moved from the countryside to the urban fringes in an attempt to gain access to better services. Because of their limited resources, Venezuelan migrants and displaced Colombians find themselves in the same marginalized neighbourhoods, such as Soacha and the south of Bogotá. While both groups face many common economic and social challenges, the opportunities for Venezuelans are further limited by their status, which limits them to informal employment and even to worker exploitation. In addition, Venezuelan migrants are often discriminated against because they are perceived as a threat to the national economy.

More particularly, Venezuelan women and girls face terrible conditions when migrating; and similar living conditions once they are resettled. They are systematically exposed to abuse and sexual violence, and are further pushed into forced labour, especially drug trafficking and prostitution.