Violence against women and forced displacement. Analysis of life strategies of household heads in Medellin

Abstract

The armed conflict faced by Colombian population from the last half century has produced more than five million displaced people in recent decades (near to 10% of the national population). Women and their children are an important part of this group. This paper focuses in women heads of households –which are authorities at home and act as responsible for it– that have been victims of forced displacement and have arrived in the city of Medellin. In particular, it focuses its reflection in the life strategies implemented by them over the years to deal with situations of violations of their rights and violence. Because of their rural origins, their low education, their numerous descendants, they must face new threats in the big city and are exposed to situations of uprooting, violence, poverty and social exclusion.