Born as a Girl

Pregnant girls at the age of 13 or grandmothers at the age of 26 are of no surprise in Colombian slums. In the poorest social class, violence against women is especially striking: rape, sexual abuse or sex trafficking of minors happen on everyday basis. Teenage pregnancies are extremely prevalent. Colombia is a country that experienced a brutal 50-years long civil war as well as ruthless drug cartels. The long escalation of violence has caused millions of Colombian people to suffer from extreme poverty. The situation in Colombia has forced over 7 million people to leave their homes. Most of them now live in slums. Such a situation is the most difficult for women, who are additionally victims of violence and stigmatization resulting from a characteristic to Latin America machismo culture.