On 13 March, researchers from Fundación Conflict Responses – UNIDIR’s local research partner – participated in a Women’s Assembly in Santander de Quilichao, Colombia. The Assembly was organized by the Women’s Department of the Association of Indigenous Cabildos of Northern Cauca (ACIN), also known as Cxhab Wala Kiwe, and brought together ancestral authorities (Nejwesx), spiritual leaders (Kwe kwe thutheza), youth and children. It raised awareness about gender-based violence within the Nasa Indigenous community of Northern Cauca, one of Colombia’s largest Indigenous groups, and explore ways to strengthen community-led responses.
A session at the Assembly built upon qualitative research from UNIDIR’s Managing Exits from Armed Conflict Project, which found that inadequately addressed sexual violence fuels conflict dynamics within the Nasa community. Specifically, the findings revealed that some survivors of sexual violence join illegal armed groups—particularly FARC-EP dissident groups—in search of justice, due to the failure of existing community mechanisms to provide accountability for perpetrators and support to victims. This phenomenon is exacerbated by entrenched gender inequalities, which deprive them of protection and adequate support, and perpetuate a culture of impunity.
Recognizing the complexities of conducting research on sexual violence in a conflict-affected Indigenous community, UNIDIR researchers worked closely with ACIN leaders and community members throughout the process. Rather than imposing an external research agenda, the Managing Exits from Armed Conflict Project and ACIN engaged collaborated to ensure that research questions, methodologies, and findings were developed together. This participatory approach was designed to minimize harm, prevent extractive research practices, and ensure that the community’s lived realities and priorities were at the centre of the study’s recommendations.
The biggest challenge [encountered] had to do with ensuring that research practices were culturally sensitive to the Nasa people and that they did not reproduce extractivist dynamics that could potentially harm participants and create frustrations with the community. To this end, the research team adopted several strategies such as paying attention and adapting the language used throughout the activities to make sure that it accurately reflected the realities of the Nasa people.
Learn more on UNIDIR’s report on Sexual Violence and the Struggle for Justice: The Involvement of Indigenous Nasa Survivors in Armed Groups in Northern Cauca.
Sharing knowledge to drive change
A central goal of the Assembly was to raise awareness about gender-based violence within the Nasa community, making it a crucial moment to share UNIDIR’s research findings with Indigenous authorities, community members, and youth. In a collaborative effort to both disseminate the findings and drive change, researchers from Fundación Conflict Responses presented a video featuring ACIN leaders reading our recommendations on how to better support survivors of sexual violence. To further ensure accessibility and engagement, an infographic summarizing the key research findings was distributed to participants.
Beyond the event, the Managing Exits from Armed Conflict Project and ACIN are taking concrete steps to operationalize research findings into action. Posters with step-by-step guidance on how survivors can access justice and community resources are being developed, which will be placed in public spaces. The goal of this campaign is to help survivors better understand their rights, navigate the Indigenous legal system, and ultimately, reduce the risk of them resorting to armed groups in search of justice.
Meaningful partnerships for sustainable solutions
This collaboration highlights the importance of centering Indigenous leadership in both research and policy solutions. The Nasa community played a key role in developing the recommendations, ensuring that solutions are not externally imposed but instead reflect local realities, needs and structures. The lessons learned from this initiative may serve as a model for future research and practice, demonstrating how meaningful partnerships between researchers and Indigenous communities can drive sustainable, community-led approaches to gender-based violence prevention and response.
By prioritizing participatory engagement, co-developed solutions, and tangible action, UNIDIR remains committed to advancing stronger, more inclusive justice and support mechanisms for Indigenous women and girls in conflict-affected settings.