Women’s Link makes inroads for women’s rights in South America

Photo: © Women’s Link Worldwide
Photo caption: Families migrate north in Cucuta, a Colombian city near the border with Venezuela

Women’s Link Worldwide recently had a significant win at the Supreme Court of Colombia. The court issued a ground-breaking decision – ruling that “Venezuelan migrant girls and women, due to their vulnerable status, cannot be denied healthcare.”

In this case, Women’s Link Worldwide represented a teenage girl who was a migrant from Venezuela and a victim of sexual violence. She had been denied access to desperately-needed medical services. The Court has now ruled that urgent measures must be taken to get her access to medical care. Women’s Link believes this decision will pave the way for getting more migrant women and girls the sexual and reproductive health services they need.

Women’s Link Worldwide is an international not-for-profit organisation that uses the power of the law to promote social change that advances the human rights of women and girls, especially those facing multiple inequalities. It has regional offices in Latin America and Europe.

Often they are the most vulnerable to human trafficking. Women’s Link Worldwide is a partner of Oak’s Issues Affecting Women Programme (IAWP), which supports organisations that enable women who have experienced violence to access their rights and rebuild their lives. Oak’s partners provide a range of services that empower women to recover from the trauma of violence. They also seek to reform laws and policies and change norms to prevent violence from taking place. This is why we support organisations which address physical, psychological and sexual violence against women.

Congratulations to Women’s Link Worldwide on this great achievement for women and girls in South America from all of us at Oak!

Read more about its court victory here.