Colombian Butterflies receive prestigious Nansen Refugee Award

The 19 coordinators of Butterflies, a women's rights network which also has 100 core volunteers. They put their lives on the line to assist forcibly displaced women and those who have been subject to sexual or physical violence. © UNHCR/L.Zanetti

GENEVA, September 12 (UNHCR) - The UN refugee agency on Friday named a group of courageous Colombian women as winners of the prestigious annual Nansen Refugee Award for their work in helping survivors of forced displacement and sexual abuse in the violence-ridden and run-down Pacific port of Buenaventura.

The volunteers of the women's rights group, Red Mariposas de Alas Nuevas Construyendo Futuro (known in English as Butterflies for short), are being recognized for their selfless work in helping more than 1,000 women and their families in Buenaventura, Colombia's main seaport.

"These women are doing extraordinary work in the most challenging of contexts," said UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres. "Each day they seek to heal the wounds of the women and children of Buenaventura and in doing so put their own lives at risk. Their bravery goes beyond words."

Colombia has more internally displaced people (5.7 million) than any other country aside from Syria. Nowhere in the country is the devastation of the 50-year armed conflict felt as acutely as in Buenaventura. This industrial port city has some of the highest rates of violence and displacement due to rivalries between illegal armed groups, and women are often their targets. The groups violate women and children to demonstrate their power and frequently torture, rape or kill to exact revenge.

"The situation in Buenaventura illustrates the devastating impact of conflict on families and how essential the work of Butterflies is," Guterres said. "In their battle to gain territory, illegal armed groups in Buenaventura aim to destroy the social fabric of communities. They violate the most vulnerable by sexual assault, kidnap and murder. Butterflies' volunteers take the displaced and abused under their wing and help them to reclaim their lives and assert their rights," he added.

Drawing on modest resources, the women go about their work on foot, bus or bicycle. They move cautiously through the most dangerous neighbourhoods to help women access medical care and report crimes. This work, deep inside the communities, helps them reach the most vulnerable women, but also brings with it danger and threats from the illegal armed groups.

Women in the poorest areas of Buenaventura are often afraid to report sexual violence and the few who do so remain unprotected because they often live alongside their aggressors. Building trust is a slow and challenging process. Butterflies operates on the principal of "comadreo," which has special significance in Afro-Colombian culture, uniting respect, trust solidarity and confidentiality.

The cornerstone of the assistance Butterflies provides is the life skills training and workshops on women's rights that they organize. Here women come together and, realizing they are not alone in their suffering, slowly regain their self-esteem and strength.

UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie has praised the work of the winners. As a staunch advocate for ending sexual violence in conflict, Jolie says the work conducted by Butterflies is life-saving.

She said members of the group "draw on their strengths as women to help thousands of vulnerable people, who would otherwise have no rights and no protection. By winning this award, I hope it helps more people everywhere to understand that we have to change attitudes to sexual violence, and to help end impunity for these crimes," said Jolie.

The Nansen Refugee Award will be presented to Butterflies at a ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland on September 29. The group will be represented by three women; Gloria Amparo, Maritza Asprilla Cruz and Mery Medina.

The award, marking its 60th anniversary this year, also comes with a commemorative medal and a US$100,000 monetary prize donated by the governments of Norway and Switzerland to support a project of the winner's choice. The Nansen Refugee Award is given to a person or group for outstanding work on behalf of the forcibly displaced.

Strength in Numbers: The 19 coordinators of Butterflies, a women's rights network which also has 100 core volunteers. They put their lives on the line every day to assist forcibly displaced women and those who have been subject to sexual or physical violence. Many are survivors of abuse and can empathize with the women they help. © UNHCR/L.Zanetti
Brutal Realities: The relative calm of the port city of Buenaventura belies the levels of brutality faced on the ground. Rival armed groups mark their territory and residents are careful not to cross boundaries. Those who stray across these lines can face death, mutilation, kidnap or rape. © UNHCR/L.Zanetti
The Most Vulnerable: The shantytowns on the water's edge are the areas most affected by violence and displacement. Women and children are frequent targets. According to official figures, nearly 51,000 people in Buenaventura were forced to flee their homes due to armed violence from 2011 to 2013. © UNHCR/J.Arredondo
Invisible Boundaries: To reach women in danger, the Butterflies volunteers must navigate the invisible boundaries set up by armed groups. Despite the risks, Mery Medina believes spreading awareness about sexual violence in conflict will help women, their families and the community to heal and become stronger. © UNHCR/J.Arredondo
No Refuge From the Violence: Luz Dary Santiesteban fled to Buenaventura in 1995 to escape from the violence, but safety was elusive. In 2004, members of an armed group threatened to rape her daughter as punishment for Luz's community activism. Luz intervened and was gang-raped. Years later, after joining Butterflies, she found the courage to report the crime. Santiesteban said that reporting it "was like taking out a cancer that had been consuming me." © UNHCR/J.Arredondo
Value Yourself: Maritza Asprilla Cruz leads a weekly workshop that teaches women about their rights. "If you don't value yourself, no-one will value you," Maritza tells the participants. Butterflies believes building self-esteem will help women avoid the quagmire of violence, extortion and displacement that has become a daily reality for many in Buenaventura. © UNHCR/J.Arredondo
Helping Hands: In a society where violence permeates everyday life, there is a total lack of trust. The Butterflies support system is based on the tradition of comadreos (god-parenting), where unconditional love and support is offered to all those taken under the Butterflies wing. This solidarity allows people to regain their self-esteem and confidence. © UNHCR/J.Arredondo
Know your Rights: Gloria Amparo explains the Butterflies outreach programme to young women. She is convinced that the way to empower women who suffer forced displacement and abuse is to ensure they know their rights. "When a woman knows her rights, it allows her to have choices and make decisions. Knowing your rights, you can better defend yourself and your community," she says. © UNHCR/J.Arredondo
Breaking the Silence: Lack of trust in local institutions and limited access to clinics and hospitals deters women from reporting crimes and getting the medical attention they need. Mery Medina helps women step by step through what can be an agonizing process. Mery believes that talking about sexual violence in conflict is the only way to stop it. © UNHCR/J.Arredondo