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Gap analysis of Child Marriages and Early and Forced Unions (CMEFU) in Colombia

Yessica Carabali Mendoza, Consultant on gender, rights and interculturality at UNFPA
Estefania Mosquera Gómez, Data processing and analysis consultant at UNFPA
Laura Lozano, Gender, Rights and Interculturality Advisor
Carlos Ramirez Hernandez, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Historically, in Colombia, monitoring of CMEFU has been carried out based on the DHS. However, this source has limitations to reflect appropriate and updated data that reflects the impact of this harmful practice. This, in turn, hinders the design and implementation of relevant public policies that contribute to the eradication of the practice and that guarantee the rights of girls and adolescents, allowing them to reach their full potential leaving no one behind. This document provides an analysis of the CMEFU in Colombia, making gender, territorial and educational gaps visible, with emphasis on population characteristics such as sex, age group, disability and ethnicity. It provides relevant information that allows a better understanding of the impact of the practice on girls and adolescents, especially those who live in rural areas, are indigenous or Afro-descendants or have no education at all. Although the analysis focuses on the information available for Colombia, this work can be replicated in other countries of the LAC region that face the similar challenges related to data sources and differential approach to the practice.

Keywords: Gender, Census data, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Inequality

See extended abstract.

  Presented in Session P4.