Policy document
Colombia's Development Of A National Action Plan To End Violence Against Children And Youth 2021-2023
Karina Padilla, María Fernanda Rodríguez, Arturo Harker Roa ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001Colombia developed a National Action Plan (2021-2024) to end violence against children and youth, following a 2018 survey that found 40% of minors had experienced violence before age 18. The plan was created by a National Alliance established in 2019 and is based on evidence and the WHO's INSPIRE framework. The document describes the three-stage development process (exploration, design, implementation) and includes case studies on monitoring, departmental planning, and NGO participation to strengthen public policies.
Key points
- 2018 VACS revealed that 2 out of 5 minors experienced violence before age 18 in Colombia
- Violence included sexual, domestic, and community violence, particularly in municipalities affected by armed conflict
- National Action Plan aligned with WHO's INSPIRE framework for preventing violence against children
- Development involved three stages: exploration, design, and implementation
- Plan included case studies on monitoring, departmental planning, NGO participation, and evidence use
Limitations
This document describes policy development rather than evaluating the effectiveness of interventions. It cannot tell us whether the National Action Plan's implementation actually reduced violence against children or what outcomes were achieved.
Abstract
In Colombia, the 2018 Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS) revealed that two out of five minors had experienced violence before the age of 18, highlighting a serious situation of sexual, domestic, and community violence—particularly in municipalities historically affected by armed conflict. In response, the National Alliance to End Violence Against Children and Adolescents was established in 2019. With support from national and international organizations, the Alliance developed the National Action Plan (2021–2024), grounded in evidence and aligned with the WHO’s INSPIRE framework. This document systematizes key milestones, actions, and lessons learned throughout its development process, which included three stages—exploration, design, and implementation. It is complemented by case studies on monitoring, departmental planning, NGO participation, and evidence use, with the aim of strengthening public policies and contributing to international collective efforts to eradicate violence against children.