MOCOA, Colombia—The wall outside the small airport in Puerto Assis, in the state of Putumayo in the Colombian Amazon, is adorned with a mural depicting five women’s faces. This and Putumayo’s five other “murals of truth,” as they are known, serve as poignant reminders of the women killed in Colombia’s more than half-century armed conflict with the FARC Marxist insurgency and other armed groups.
But while the conflict with the FARC ended with a peace agreement in 2016, violence against women in Putumayo persists, entangled in today’s conflicts over the environmental degradation caused by extractive activities such as mining, oil production, cattle ranching and coca cultivation.
In the face of these dangers, women have often come together to advocate for their rights, safety, political participation and economic autonomy, as well as to protect the land. Under the umbrella of the Women Weavers of Life Alliance of Putumayo, a network of 65 women’s organizations across the state, they create sustainable development projects, conservation initiatives, educational campaigns and a supportive female community.