UF in Colombia Day 4: Goodbye Bogotá

Hola!
Our last day in Bogotá started early, heading off from the hostel for our meeting with UN women at 9. Unfortunately, this morning introduced us to what it is like to be in a car during rush hours in Bogotá – we were stuck.

Even though we were late to our appointed meeting, we were greeted at the office of UN women with coffee and aromática, a kind of tea that is very common in Colombia. The office of UN women in Bogotá opened in 2005 as a response to the conflict in the country. Globally, UN women work with five priority areas. These are women’s leadership and participation, ending violence against women, working on women’s participation in peace and security, women’s economic empowerment, and including perspectives of gender equality in budgets and planning.
However, in the Colombian context, the local office works with a gender perspective on the peace agreement and with the focus on women’s rights. We got an introduction to the peace agreement and an insight into the reality and everyday life of the Colombian women. We also learned about how women have been affected differently by the conflict depending on where in Colombia they live. Women and men in a conflict are not always affected in the same ways and we discussed the women who have chosen to take up arms in the Colombian conflict. They are sometimes seen to go against the norms of what is considered to be a woman and a mother. When we now are talking about Colombia as a ”post-conflict” society, it is important to recognize that women still are under the pressure of these norms. For example, it can be hard for a woman to go back to her family and to reunite with her children.
At the meeting we also touched upon the upcoming elections and UN women stressed the importance of remembering that the peace agreement is something that must be given time.


 
After the meeting, we had some time before we had to go to the airport to continue the trip to Medellin. We decided to visit Monserrate, a mountain in Bogotá that rises over 3000 meters above the sea level. Do I even need to say that the view was amazing? Check out the pictures below!

Our time in Bogotá was been beyond interesting and fun, but now it was time to continue to a new city. I hope I will see you soon again, Bogotá!
/Aline Regnell