Patricia
Guerrero is a founding member, legal advisor
and Director of the Technical Committee
of La Liga de Mujeres Desplazadas (League
of Displaced Women) or La Liga, in Colombia
which supports and advocates for the rights
of internally displaced women and children,
particularly Afro-Colombian and Indigenous.
Dr. Guerrero completed a Master's degree
in international humanitarian law as well
as a Doctorate in Law with a focus on Criminal
Law at the Universidad Externado de Colombia.
She is also currently in the process of
completing a degree as a specialist in International
Humanitarian Law.
Fotografia: Manuel Pedraza - www.pedrazaproducciones.com
A participant in the Human Rights Advocacy
Training Program at Columbia University,
Dr. Guerrero was invited to the Women's
Caucus for Gender Justice at the International
Criminal Court. As the author of several
articles on women's human rights, Dr. Guerrero
was a major contributor to the initial research
for the "Investigation on the Prevalence
of Gender-Based Violence Among Women Displaced
by the Armed Conflict in Cartagena, Colombia,"
supported by the Consortium for Sexual and
Reproductive Rights whose members include
the International Rescue Committee, the
Women's Commission for Refugee, Women and
Children, and Columbia University. She has
participated in national and international
fora, including making expert presentations
before the United Nations Commission on
the Status of Women, United Nations Commission
on Human Rights, and the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights.
Among the projects that La Liga has carried
out under her direction is La Ciudad de
las Mujeres (The Women's City), the only
housing project, which Patricia manages,
that is focused on displaced women in
the department of Bolivar. La Ciudad de
las Mujeres was nominated for the 2003
Luis Carlos Galán Human Rights Prize and
the 2005 National Peace Prize, and received
an honorable mention in the Second Edition
of the King of Spain Human Rights prize
for 2006.
For many years Dr. Guerrero was an invited
expert at the International Criminal Court's
Caucus on Gender Justice, whose work focused
on for the inclusion of gender-based sexual
violence and femicide in the Rome Statute
of the International Criminal Court. With
a foundation of experience and knowledge
of women's human rights, she has carried
out a number of major research projects,
including one titled "Impunity for
the Crime of Forced Displacement within
the Framework of Internal Armed Conflict,"
one on gender-based violence and impunity,
and another addressing the violation of
the right to organize. Additionally, she
has filed complaints with the Colombian
Constitutional Court and the State Council
regarding regulations that are considered
to be in violation of the rights of victims
of forced displacement; and has brought
before the Bolivar branch of the Office
of the Attorney General of Colombia a
number of lawsuits related to crimes committed
against women members of La Liga during
its 10 years of existence.
During the last 10 years, Dr. Guerrero
has worked arduously so that the threats
and crimes committed against the Liga
de Mujeres Desplazadas would be included
in various human rights reports produced
by the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights; and in
the Risk Assessments put out by the Early
Alert System of the Colombian Public Defender.
She also works on the ground with the
Organization of American States' Mission
to Support the Peace Process in Colombia,
working to ensure the protection of women
in the current process of disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration. Dr.
Guerrero also serves as an in-country
Advisor in Colombia for the Global Fund
for Women, an organization that funds
initiatives to advance women's human rights
around the world. Her more than 10 years
of work with displaced women in conflict
zones have earned her the recognition
of the European Union and members of the
United States Congress, as well as the
Colombian Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees. Additionally,
The United Nations Development Program
has recognized the work of Liga de Mujeres
Desplazadas as an example of a "best
practice" for overcoming conflict.
Fotografia: Manuel Pedraza - www.pedrazaproducciones.com
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El trabajo de la abogada y activista colombiana Patricia Guerrero en defensa de los derechos de las desplazadas del país y de las víctimas de la violencia fue reconocida por la Fundación Global para las Mujeres en una cena de gala en Nueva York. 
