Final Evaluation: Mujeres y hombres rompiendo moldes para erradicar la violencia machista contra las mujeres y las niñas en Colombia| Women and men breaking the mould to eradicate sexist violence against women and girls in Colombia

Location: Colombia 

Grantee: Corporación Con-Vivamos (Convivamos) 

Grant period: 10 October 2019 - 28 February 2023 

Grant amount: USD 790,000 

Authors/editors: María Elena Rodríguez Sánchez, et. al., Consultoría Cambio y Praxis 

Publication year: 2023 

Corporación Con-Vivamos, with the support of UN Trust Fund, implemented the three-year project “Women and men breaking the mould to eradicate sexist violence against women and girls in Colombia”. The project aimed to transform social attitudes that normalize gender inequality and violence against women, and worked with female political activists; Indigenous women; lesbian, gay and transgender women; and women and girls in general, with a focus on adolescent girls and young women. 

The project's main objectives were to: 

• foster dialogue by disseminating studies and survey results in public places, creating safe spaces that change attitudes and perceptions of normalized gender-based, sexual and sexist forms of violence against women and girls;
• strengthen the role of young people as agents of change and provide them with the appropriate tools to invigorate innovative and peaceful activism to deconstruct the normalized forms of violence; and
• strengthen grassroots organizations' networks and improve the collaboration between them and the media to promote activism to end harmful attitudes and behaviour against women and girls. 

The final evaluation found that despite structural and operational challenges, the project’s objectives were covered effectively and its activities were achieved. 

  Main findings of the evaluation:  

• The project contributed to an important change in primary and secondary beneficiaries’ perceptions of normalized sexist violence against women and girls, which led to action to prevent such violence. However, there was less success with indirect beneficiaries and the evaluation called for the continuation of activities to reach this population effectively. 
• The collaborative work between Corporación Con-Vivamos and the consortium members increased the relevance and coherence of all actions conducted on the ground. All member organizations were able to contribute their expertise in relation to gender analysis, gender research, dialogue, youth and advocacy.  
• Project design and implementation clearly linked to the dynamics of the territory and the interests of the targeted groups were key to the initiative’s success. Aspects such as participatory research, popular education, self-care work, strengthening networks, innovation in methodologies that link art and culture decisively contributed to the cultural transformation essential to end the normalization of violence against women and girls.