Colombia

Elections in Colombia saw a political shift in 2022, and the greatest gains in terms of women’s representation in the Americas. The new government includes Francia Márquez, the country’s first Afro-Colombian vice-president and only the second woman to hold this position. Women now hold 29.6% of the seats in the upper house (+8.3 percentage points) and 28.9% in the lower house (+10.2 percentage points).

When Colombians on Sunday elected their first leftist president ever, they also voted for their country’s first Black vice-president. Francia Marquez, a Black single mother who worked as a maid before challenging international mining interests as a fiery environmentalist, now becomes Colombia’s first Black female vice-president. Her victory marks a turning point in a country plagued by social inequalities and historically governed by conservative elites.   

Election observers warn that rampant hate speech could result in violence.

Colombia’s election observers warned that hate speech targeting the running mate of presidential candidate Gustavo Petro could result in violence.

Vice-presidential candidate Francia Marquez said Monday that she had received three death threats in the past month.

The environmental leader won more votes than the center candidate Sergio Fajardo without having held public office and with a campaign that began only three months ago.

Billions of people across the world stand on the right side of history every day. They speak up, take a stand, mobilize, and take big and small actions to advance women’s rights. This is Generation Equality.

I am Generation Equality because…

Claudia López, a gay politician who advertises herself as "incorruptible", has become the first woman to be elected mayor of Colombia's capital, Bogotá.

The 49-year-old centre-left candidate had won 35.2% of the vote with nearly all votes counted.

Mayor of Bogotá is widely considered the second-most important political post in Colombia after the presidency.

Observers say female candidates systematically threatened with physical, sexual violence to deter them from running.

The body of mayoral candidate Karina García was found shot and incinerated in her car in the Cauca department of southern Colombia, on 1 September.