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The women’s network “Butterflies” will receive the Nansen Refugee Award for their work for women who have experienced torture or rape in Buenaventura, Colombia.
A new report from the Norwegian Refugee Council finds that paramilitary groups in Colombia systematically use the rape of women and children to terrorise the civilian population and to control key drug trafficking routes.
“NRC congratulates Butterflies with this year's Nansen Refugee Award, which is awarded by the UNHCR. Butterflies is a worthy recipient of the award, as they give hope to Colombia’s most vulnerable in one of the world’s worst conflict areas,” says NRC Secretary General, Jan Egeland.
Many of the women of the Butterflies network have themselves experienced displacement, violence and rape. They voluntarily travel by fott, bicycle or bus to the most dangerous areas of Buenaventuras to help abused women receive medical and psychological care and report crimes to the authorities.
“The extreme security risks makes Butterflies’ activities very demanding and worthy of great praise,” says NRC Country Director in Colombia, Christian Visnes.
The peace process between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrilla is progressing, but there are still ongoing conflicts between illegal armed groups in several parts of Colombia. NRC’s report shows how these groups systematically use violence and rape to terrorise the civilian population. In her testimonial, a woman says:
“…they took a girl I know out of her house (her husband was in jail, and now he is outside of the country). Some armed men raped her as the two children watched… they didn’t run for help out of fear. They dismembered the girl and she was found in a black trash bag.”
“We hope that the Nansen Refugee Award contributes to keeping the use of rape as a weapon of war high on the international agenda as a despicable war crime,” says Jan Egeland.
Facts:
- Butterflies are based in Buenaventura, on the Pacific coast of southwestern Colombia, where violence levels are among the highest in the country.
- The network's official name is Red Mariposas de Alas Nuevas Construyendo Futuro (Butterflies with new wings are building a future)
- Butterflies was created in 2010 and consists of nine women's organizations with a total of around 120 volunteers.
- In cooperation with the UNHCR, NRC hosts the Nansen Award Ceremony in Geneva on the 29th of September.
A new report from the Norwegian Refugee Council finds that paramilitary groups in Colombia systematically use the rape of women and children to terrorise the civilian population and to control key drug trafficking routes.
“NRC congratulates Butterflies with this year's Nansen Refugee Award, which is awarded by the UNHCR. Butterflies is a worthy recipient of the award, as they give hope to Colombia’s most vulnerable in one of the world’s worst conflict areas,” says NRC Secretary General, Jan Egeland.
Many of the women of the Butterflies network have themselves experienced displacement, violence and rape. They voluntarily travel by fott, bicycle or bus to the most dangerous areas of Buenaventuras to help abused women receive medical and psychological care and report crimes to the authorities.
“The extreme security risks makes Butterflies’ activities very demanding and worthy of great praise,” says NRC Country Director in Colombia, Christian Visnes.
The peace process between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrilla is progressing, but there are still ongoing conflicts between illegal armed groups in several parts of Colombia. NRC’s report shows how these groups systematically use violence and rape to terrorise the civilian population. In her testimonial, a woman says:
“…they took a girl I know out of her house (her husband was in jail, and now he is outside of the country). Some armed men raped her as the two children watched… they didn’t run for help out of fear. They dismembered the girl and she was found in a black trash bag.”
“We hope that the Nansen Refugee Award contributes to keeping the use of rape as a weapon of war high on the international agenda as a despicable war crime,” says Jan Egeland.
Facts:
Butterflies are based in Buenaventura, on the Pacific coast of southwestern Colombia, where violence levels are among the highest in the country.
The network's official name is Red Mariposas de Alas Nuevas Construyendo Futuro (Butterflies with new wings are building a future)
Butterflies was created in 2010 and consists of nine women's organizations with a total of around 120 volunteers.
In cooperation with the UNHCR, NRC hosts the Nansen Award Ceremony in Geneva on the 29th of September.
