Colombia
Addressing Urban Violence and Local Security: Participatory Research with Young People in Colombia and South Africa
This report documents a persistent mismatch between official security priorities, still centred on crime and armed actors, and what young people themselvesidentify as most urgent: unemployment, lack of opportunity, and mental health. Drawing on these findings and recognising that despite being separated by continent, language, and political history, the two cities share a history of…
Understanding intersectionality and barriers to political participation
The case of the Women’s Advisory Council of Popayán, Colombia This study situates these dynamics within Cauca’s long history of social movements and the broader literature on political participation, gender and intersectionality, illustrating both the importance of intersectionality in understanding barriers to participation and its implications for more inclusive and equitable approaches to participatory governance…
Alianzas Transnacionales y Gobernanza Inclusiva
Lecciones desde la cooperación intermunicipal para la garantía de derechos LGBTIQ+ en gobiernos locales Este informe analiza cómo la alianza intermunicipal entre Maicao (Colombia) y Upplands-Bro (Suecia) funciona como una herramienta estratégica para priorizar el reconocimiento de derechos de personas LGBTIQ+ en las administraciones públicas locales. Ante los vacíos institucionales históricos provocados por prejuicios yprioridades…
Taking the word
Indigenous Women’s Struggle for Equality in Colombia and Guatemala This roadmap provides a strategic framework for the local governments of Leticia and Panajachel to bridge the gap between legal commitments and the meaningful political influence of Indigenous women. Although current regulatory frameworks for women’s participation in Colombia and Guatemala have strengthened formal mechanisms and created…
Participation is not enough
Women, intersectionality, and local democracy in Colombia In Colombia, participatory mechanisms have opened spaces for women, but these spaces have not enabled their political agency as expected. Often, these mechanisms have focused on “women” generically, reproducing discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, and class. Drawing on a case study of the Women’s Advisory Council (WAC) of…
Women, indigenous knowledge and climate resilience in focus amongst our Fieldwork Grant recipients
We are happy to share our most recent group of Fieldwork Grant participants here at ICLD! This year, 9 brilliant students presented their research on highly topical subjects for both our organization, the general state of the world and local democracy. Each of them had a unique perspective on pressing issues globally, and the execution…
Living Knowledge in a Changing Land
Indigenous communities in the Amazon are facing rapid socio-ecological changes that threaten traditional land management practices and food sovereignty. Indigenous knowledge and practices, essential for biodiversity conservation, are quickly being lost. I examine how changes in traditional land management affect Indigenous food sovereignty and its impact on the growth of women’s leadership in Mitú, Colombia.…
Unseen Spaces, Unheard Voices: Redefining Gender Roles to Enhance Women’s Political Impact in Guatemala and Colombia
Regional focus: South America – Colombia and Guatemala Time: September 2025 – May 2026 Abstract: This research project explores the role of gender social norms intersection in self-made spaces of participation (i.e. small cooperatives and informal local groups) and local governments “invited spaces” (i.e. street office, participatory budget, one-stop office, etc) and the impact those norms have…
Upplands-Bro and Maicao, Colombia
Project: Inclusive Employment & Rights – Advancing LGBTIQ+ Equality through Local Policy Upplands-Bro Municipality in Sweden and its partner Maicao in Colombia are planning a mutual learning process on how local governments can strengthen inclusive public policy that ensures the rights and economic participation of LGBTIQ+ individuals—especially women, youth, migrants, and indigenous people. The goal…
Who gets to take part: understanding intersectionality and barriers to political participation in Colombia
Regional focus: Latin America – Colombia Time: March – November 2025 Abstract: In Colombia, Latin America, and elsewhere, barriers to political participation are manifold. This research project seeks to identify and analyze the intersectional barriers to political participation faced by Indigenous and Afro-descendent populations. Focusing on the dynamics of power that underpin marginalization due to gender, ethnicity,…
