Popular Women's
Organization
(OFP)

Acting Bravely in the Struggle for
Human Rights in Colombia

Introduction: The following inspirational story (used and modified with permission) was written by Pierre Shantz, a Christian Peacemaker Team Member (CPT) in Colombia. In introducing this story, he wrote: "As many people will attest, I can go months without writing anything home or an article for CPT.  When I reflected on why, one thing I thought was that after being in Colombia for so long, the violence or community processes that used to move me to write seem to have become part of normal life, and I don't find myself as motivated to write. So, one of the tasks I decided to take on to remedy this was to write an article about the OFP."

OFP is the Spanish acronym of the Popular Women's Organization. Over thirty years ago, the Catholic Church of Colombia saw the need to train and support women who were leading the social struggle for dignified healthcare, housing, public works, education, etc.

Ten years later some of the women leaders created the OFP as an independent organization led by and focused on the specific needs of women in Barrancabermeja and the surrounding region in Colombia. OFP continues to have ties to the Church but felt it was time, as the OFP says, for the teenager to move out of her parents' home and become independent.

OFP has grown into an organization that provides health and legal services, low cost lunches served in low income neighborhoods of the city, and cultural activities for youths. It belongs to the international movement of Women in Black. General coordinator Yolanda Becerra was nominated in 2006 for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Since OFP dares to speak out and stand up for women's rights, armed groups (legal and illegal) have targeted members with attacks, threats, and even assassinations. Government armed forces and paramilitaries justify their persecution of the OFP by accusing them of being guerrilla collaborators because the women denounce the abuses committed by these groups. The OFP is also a threat to the military system because they demand an end to war.

Several months ago, the OFP sent out an urgent action. The paramilitaries directly threatened the OFP coordination team. The paramilitaries demanded they stop their work with the OFP or die.

Some might be moved to comply (understandably so) and leave the city but I have never known any of these women to give up. They face these threats with great courage to fight for a dignified life.

The women of the OFP haven't lost their inspiration like can happen to me. They, like so many other social leaders, have refused to let fear dominate them. "It is better to live with fear than to stop living because of fear" is one of the well-known OFP sayings. On the contrary, these women go out every day deeply inspired to face the challenges that present themselves.

Gratitude to CPT and OFP for the pictures above.