LANDMINES AND GENDER IN COLOMBIA-
TWO PERSPECTIVES
Given the limited data and analysis on the topic, and statistics that only
reveal a glimpse of the reality, the situation in Colombia warrants analysis.
Let us begin with the definition of the term
victim given by the Ottawa Convention:
“All persons that have suffered individually or
collectively as a result of an APM
(antipersonnel mine) accident, including from
physical and mental harm, emotional distress,
economical loss or a significant violation of
fundamental rights. The term includes those
affected by fatal injuries, survivors and their
immediate family” (underlining ours).
Direct Victims:
Colombia holds a register of the direct victims
from 1990 to April, 2009. Of the 2682 civilian
victims of APMs and UXOs (unexploded
ordnances), 383 have been women, whilst 2250
have been men. The gender of 49 of the
victims is unknown.
Chart showing the percentage distribution of
registered female victims of APMs and UXOs
according to the consequences of the accident.
1990 to April 2009:of the accident. 1990 to April
2009
= F killed = F injured
Source: Colombian Campaign to Ban Landmines
(CCCM), and Presidential programme for Essential
Action against Antipersonnel Mines (PAICMA)
The figures demonstrate to us the differing
immediate effects between males and
females. The number of direct victims of
APM/UXOs who are male is far greater than
the number who are female. However, how
many of these accidents have an effect on
women as indirect victims?
Female victims of APMs and UXOs are faced
with pre-determined social and cultural
standings that make the recovery process for
women more complicated because their pre-
established cultural role is to care for the
home.
These women are affected not only by the
physical consequences of the accident, but
also by their new state of vulnerability,
stigmatization, isolation, as well as by
psychosocial effects. Often these women have
to reduce the amount of medical treatment
and care they receive because of economic
factors and because it is, as carers of the
home, impossible for them to abandon their
existing responsibilities.
If we consider this secondary information,
given that Colombia lacks a great amount of
data, the situation may be even more serious.
These circumstances make it impossible to
know the situations in which the 383 female
victims find themselves after the accident,
whether or not it had been possible for them
to receive Victim Assistance, or what their
economic situation and activity is. Only the
basic statistics of age, gender, and place and
time of the accident are recorded. So, from
this limited data, we can see that 229 females
over 18 years of age and 154 females under 18
were recorded as victims between 1990 and
April 2009.

Chart showing the percentage distribution
of recorded female victims of antipersonnel
mines and unexploded ordnances in
Colombia between 1990 and April 2009
according to age:
= percentage of females under 18
= percentage of females over 18
Source: CCCM data and PAICMA data
Chart showing the percentage distribution
of recorded female victims of antipersonnel
mines and unexploded ordnances in
Colombia between 1990 and April 2009
according to the most affected departments:
Source: CCCM data and PAICMA data
Antioquia, with 108 women affected, has had
the greatest number of female victims.
Nariño, with 34 female victims, occupies
second place. As the chart shows, eight of the
most affected departments all show a similar
trend with regards to the percentage of
recorded female victims.
So direct victims suffer very different
consequences within the same conflict,
consequences which due to their cultural
ideology hinder the recovery process and
their access to Victim Assistance, in which
recovering from the psychological effects of
the accident would be considered of the
upmost importance.
Indirect Victims:
With regards to women, the roles they play
are as mothers, wives, daughters, sisters etc.
When something happens to another member
of the family, it is they who run the
household and maintain it. Therefore they
become indirect victims as they are
responsible not only for the home, but also
for supporting themselves and for caring for
the direct victim.
Despite being so important to society,
indirect victims are practically invisible. In
Colombia there is NO register of indirect
victims which allows us to know the real
impact and consequences of antipersonnel
mines.
After revising the different situations that
direct victims face, we could put forward
another proposal: to form a register of indirect
victims. These indirect victims would be primarily
women and they would significantly increase the
figures upon which we base the objectives of
Victim Assistance. This proposal is motivated
by the stories of victims who have relied on
CCCM’s help during their recovery process.
These direct victims explain who cares for
their children, spouse, siblings, or parents.
So in this regard women are twice as
vulnerable. Despite this, the necessary and
sufficient recognition for these indirect
victims, as specified by the Ottawa
Convention, does not exist. The country must
make a great effort for them not only with
regards to their recognition but also to the
care that they receive.
To this end, it is essential to discuss, study
and analyse the issue of indirect victims of
APMs and UXOs so they too are included in
the statistics and Victim Assistance
programmes.

SECOND REVISION OF THE OTTAWA CONVENTION
Representatives of the 156 States
Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty will
participate in the Second Review
Conference of the Ottawa
Convention in Cartagena -
Colombia, from November 30th to
December 4th, 2009.
Cartagena will welcome around 180
International Organizations and close
to 1,000 guests, including the United
Nations, the CICR, the ICBL, the
Colombian Campaign to Ban
Landmines and
other National
Organizations.
The National
situation in
relation to
landmines was
the principal
reason for
choosing Colombia as the location of
this important event. Colombia has
around 2,600 victims of mines and
that is why it faces such a crisis of
Humans Rights violations.
Jaime Bermudez, Minister of Foreign
Affairs, said "the Second Review
Conference will bring great benefits
to Colombia because it will show 180
countries the real situation here in
terms of terrorism and drug
trafficking. Also, it is a space to talk
about the advances in security and
the work that is still to do in the
regions".
THE CARTAGENA CONFERENCE
According to the report of the
Presidential Program for Integrated
Action against Antipersonnel Mines
(PAICMA), the aim of the event is to
draw up the action plan for the next
five years. Furthermore, the
Conference will provide the
opportunity to exchange national
experiences and ratify the
International Cooperation in the
fight against Antipersonnel Mines.
The International Campaign to Ban
Landmines -ICBL-
see in this
Conference the
opportunity to
complete a report
with the
information since
the First Conference
in Nairobi, Kenya,
2004. The report
will cover the progress in all the
countries and the evaluation of the
problems in the universalisation
and the right application of the
Mine Ban Treaty.
The states party have the
responsibility to act and to provide
complete assistance to victims and
so the Colombian Campaign to Ban
Landmines has been increasing its
work in this area. This requirement
of the treaty will have even more
attention with the cooperation that
is hoped to be acquired in meetings
at the Second Review Conference.
COLOMBIA SIGNS IN OSLO
107 countries, including Colombia,
have signed the Convention on
Cluster Munitions. It prohibits the
use, production, stockpile and
transfer of these weapons.
The treaty was adopted in May 2008,
in Dublin, but it needs to be ratified
by at least 30 states. 107 governments
have signed it and they accept the
commitment to stop the
intensification of conflicts that this
weapon brings.
The effects of cluster bombs are not
only the injuries they can produce but
also the humanitarian and economic
crises that they cause. For this reason,
all the countries who have signed
share a common purpose to prevent
these consequences and provide
complete assistance to the victims, as
well as clearing contaminated areas to
provide a safe place for the society.
Cluster bombs were first used in
World War II. From then, they have
been used in around 32 countries and
currently almost 78 nations have a
huge stockpile of this kind of bomb.
They are air dropped or ground
launched explosive weapons that
eject smaller submunitions far enough
to cover the area of a football pitch.
Because cluster bombs do not explode
in every case, there are many civilians
killed or maimed long after this
weapon is used. Unexploded
submunitions are difficult to locate
and remove and this is how mine
fields are increased.
 PROMISES MADE IN THE
FIGHT TO BAN CLUSTER BOMBS
The Treaty for the prohibition of Cluster Bombs needs 22 more countries to ratify before
it will be put into effect. The Colombian Campaign to Ban Landmines (CCCM) will strive
to ensure Colombia joins in the fight against this world-wide problem.
Between the 29th May and 4th June the
Action Week fighting against cluster
bombs worldwide took place.
Throughout 2009, CCCM will focus its
efforts on getting the Government to
ratify the treaty which it signed on 3rd
December of last year in Oslo and in
which the commitment to not using,
producing, storing or transferring this
type of weapons is made.
Progress made by the Government:
The Government took the first measures
last 7th May by destroying the last two of
the 41 cluster bombs that it had been
storing. This destruction was carried out
at the Marandúa military base, in
Vichada and was supervised by
representatives from civil society,
including the CCCM.
Although in our country, according to
the then Minister of Defence, Juan
Manuel Santos, the cluster bombs will be
replaced by conventional
precision-guided bombs,
the CCCM believes that
it is a great step forwards
that these weapons
which represent a great
risk to civilians no longer
exist on our land.
Colombia continues to
store 31 ARC-32 type
bombs which were
produced in Israel.
What still needs to be
done:
Of the 107 countries
that signed the treaty in
Oslo, 30 must ratify the
treaty in order for it to be put into effect
and for the process of its implementation
to begin. Eight countries have already
ratified, the last of which was Nigeria
which ratified 2nd June. We hope that
Colombia will ratify the treaty and that
the other countries of the world will
follow its example.
After destroying the stockpiles and
signing in Oslo, we can suppose that little
remains for the country to do with
regards to the elimination of cluster
bombs. Now is the time for Colombia to
show its solidarity with other countries
that continue to live with the
consequences of these weapons.
Although the work carried out to raise
awareness in the country has been
fruitful, we must now focus our efforts
on getting the treaty ratified. The
Colombian Campaign to Ban Landmines
will be waiting for this to happen.
On the 28th April 2009 a Centre for Rehabilitation was opened in the University
Hospital of Nariño. It will provide services to almost 90% of landmine victims
and people with disabilities in the department.

This was made possible thanks to
support from the Colombian Campaign
to Ban Landmines (CCCM) and Mercy
Corps, through the project Atención
Integral a Víctimas de Minas Antipersonal
(Comprehensive Assistance for
Antipersonnel Mine Victims), financed
by USAID (The United States Agency for
International Development).
For almost four years Nariño has
reported the most civilian victims of any
department in Colombia and it was this
that motivated the creation of the
rehabilitation centre. It will guarantee
victim assistance for those affected in the
region and therefore avoid the secondary
consequences of landmine accidents,
such as the need to travel for medical
attention, cultural uprooting and
economic difficulties. Plus, the centre will
offer closer, constant and more effective
aid during the process of rehabilitation.
Present at the opening were, among
others, the Ambassador for the United
States, William Brownfield, the Governor
of Nariño, Antonio Navarro Wolff, the
Mayor of Pasto, Eduardo Alvarado, the
Manager of the University Hospital of
Nariño, Bernardo Ocampo, the Director
of PAICMA (Presidential Program for
Essential Action Against Antipersonnel
Mines), Andrés Dávila, the Colombian
Representative for Mercy Corps, Gary
Burniske and the National Coordinator of
CCCM, Álvaro Jiménez Millán.
The project, which began in 2008, grew
from the need to provide care to victims
of armed conflict in their own
department and is a clear demonstration
of the advances that have been made
within the framework of the project
Atención Integral a Víctimas de Minas
Antipersonal (Comprehensive Assistance
for Antipersonnel Mine Victims).
 GERVASIO SÁNCHEZ
AND HIS POSITION ON THE COLOMBIAN CONFLICT

Spanish photographer Gervasio Sánchez has dedicated a large part of his professional
life to capturing pictures of landmine victims. In this interview he tells us, among other
things, his opinion on the role of States Parties to the Treaty and on the fact that
Cartagena will host the Second Revision Conference.

(The opinions expressed in this article are those of the interviewee only.)

On a topic whose vocabulary is national soil. Taking this into account,

constantly held in check, Gervasio is there much exposure to the problem
Sánchez’s frankness never ceases to in Spain?
amaze. No doubt it is for this reason that
he had no problem criticizing the Spanish Spain signed the Ottawa Treaty in 1997 and
Government last year when he received met the requirements set by the Convention
the Ortega and Gasset prize. Although relating to the destruction of mines before the
his photos of the effects of mines, deadline. Instead of taking five years we did it
compiled in the books Vidas Minadas in four. What Spain hasn’t done is help
(Mined Lives) (1997), Vidas Minadas cinco victims, or aid de-mining. Generosity should
años después (Mined Lives five years later) be compulsory for a country that has
(2002) and Vidas Minadas diez años después dedicated itself to exporting mines in recent
(Mined Lives ten years later) (2007), speak years.
for themselves, we wanted to talk to him
The socialist Government has had a more
about his experience.
sensitive attitude towards the problem than
the right wing Partido Popular (Popular
In a speech you gave at the Ortega and
Party). It has donated more monetary aid to
Gasset award ceremony you criticized
the situation, but at the same time sales of
the Spanish Government for allowing
Spanish weapons have doubled. So, on one
the sale of Spanish weapons to
hand we are sensitive to the trauma caused
countries at war and for the little effort
but on the other, we are capable of provoking
in providing aid to victims and to the
it.
de-mining process. Was there any
reaction from the Government to what
What is your position in light of the
you said?
Colombian conflict and the Second
Revision Conference of the Ottawa
In the speech, I thanked the victims and I
Convention being held in our country?
criticized all the governments of my country
who have sold weapons to countries like
I don’t really like Colombia being the place
Colombia and Venezuela, countries with
where the Conference will be held. One of the
conflicts on their borders. Furthermore, under
reasons is that in Colombia, whether or not
the current Government of José Luis
you like the government, mines are still being
Rodríguez Zapatero sales of Spanish weapons
planted by the army, the paramilitaries and
have doubled. I believe that the work and
the guerrillas. The guerrillas are unlawful
pressure of NGOs meant that, in 1997, Spain
groups, but the paramilitaries clearly have
signed the Ottawa Treaty.
connections with the Colombian Army and
with the state itself, and this is extremely
The problem that Spain faces is as a
shameful.
supplier of weapons and not as a
country affected by mines on its

It seems scandalous to me that it’s the
Colombian Army planting mines. For this
reason I wouldn’t have chosen Colombia as
the setting for the ratification of a treaty, I
only would have done it if the security forces
and the government had decided to stop
planting antipersonnel mines.
I think it’s disgraceful that the largest
guerilla force, FARC (Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia), linked with drug
trafficking that provides it with significant
funding, is unable to buy conventional mines
on the international market, causing them to
make their own. They are wreaking havoc
among the civilian population with their
handmade mines and what is more, they fill
them with nails and excrement. This causes
severe infections in the victims, whether they
are military, civilian, children or adults.
Taking into account that you have
worked in Colombia and in different
countries covering the landmine
situation, how do you see the progress
and/or lack of it, the situations and the
perspectives around the world and in
Colombia?
156 countries have signed the Ottawa Treaty
and there are 37 who haven’t (worth
mentioning among these are the USA, India
and China). Important progress has been
made and millions of mines in storage have
been destroyed, but there are still tens of
millions of mines in storage and tens of
millions buried underground.
Many European countries used to export
mines, and now Europe donates paltry sums
towards de-mining and towards helping
victims. In fact, the USA provides more aid
in this area than Europe, despite not having
signed the Ottawa Treaty.
At the current speed of de-mining it will take
hundreds of years to finish. This is a serious
problem, since at the signing of the Ottawa
Treaty the intention was to have a mine-free
world by 2009. But rich countries have not
been generous.
Regarding Colombia, it seems to me that its
current situation is extremely complicated. In
fact, it is the country with the most landmine
accidents in the world. What is more, there
are many mined areas that are uninhabited
because the population has been forced out by
the war. These people are driven to seek
refuge in major cities like Cali, Bucaramanga
and others, including Bogotá. But at some
point these citizens will return to their homes
and the mines will still be there under the
earth, because the army, whether or not you
like them, along with the paramilitaries and
guerrilla forces, have planted mines
throughout the country. There are going to be
many accidents in the future when these
people return, just as there were in Cambodia
and Angola.
(See the complete interview with
Gervasio Sánchez on our website:
http://www.colombiasinminas.org/inde
x.php?page=entrevista-gervasio-sanchez)