Bogotá, Colombia’s single route of attention for women victims of violence and at risk of femicide: ‘Choques’ (collisions) - perspectives of human rights lawyers stationed in health facilities

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a significant global health and human rights problem affecting one in three women globally and in Colombia. While IPV and feminicide are preventable, little research has documented public health-justice programs effective in addressing IPV in real-world conditions in Latin America. We investigated the functioning and limitations of Bogotá's <i>Single Route of Attention for Women Victims of Violence and at Risk of Feminicide</i>. From 2022-2025, we employed qualitative methods, using purposive and snowball sampling to conduct 23 in-depth interviews, one focus group and debriefings. We harnessed the perspective of human rights lawyers, supplemented by expert key informants, utilizing cycles of constant comparative analyses to derive three core findings: (1) health professionals (HPs) mistrust human rights lawyers; (2) HPs require greater sensitization to gender-based violence to assist victims; and (3) a dearth of understanding and attendant action by prosecution and police to address victims' imminent risk of harm and feminicide. Findings identified salient opportunities for these entities to minimize harm and feminicide across victims' contact with officials. Despite strengths of this novel program, lack of a public health vision for IPV prevention, systemic omissions in justice and inattention to gender norms facilitating IPV pose limitations.