A gendered and ethnic strategy to well being

The discussion board Care and Health with the Gender and Ethnic Approach addressed points associated to well being for indigenous and afro-Colombian girls throughout the nation and supplied suggestions on the implementation of a gendered and ethnic strategy to well being inside the well being system.

The discussion board was created by HealthInternet TPO in collaboration with the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo Martínez. It introduced collectively representatives of indigenous and afro-Colombian girls from completely different areas of the nation.

The Minister described the targets of the discussion board as a possibility for girls to share their experiences. “Today we wanted to summon all of you, so that you can give line to this ministry, so that with your experience and leadership in the different territories of this country, you can give us your proposals, we have the obligation to build with you all the policy towards the future.” Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo, Minister of Health and Social Protection of Colombia

Women leaders from various territories shared their very own experiences of the well being system and cultural obstacles to accessing high quality care. It supplied a possibility to create well being promotion from culturally located practices and with an intersectional strategy.

“Health for us is to prevent us from getting sick, we have to have harmony within the body, the spirit and mother nature, if mother nature is sick, we are not going to have health, we are not going to breathe a healthy environment.” – María Yalanda Campo, Governor of the Misak Community

Different sectors of academia, community-based organisations, territorial leaders, district, municipal and departmental well being entities participated within the improvement of the discussion board, in addition to medical personnel linked to well being care, who addressed the function of afro and indigenous girls in public well being coverage environments and group settings.

“An intercultural perspective must be incorporated that takes into consideration racism, structural discrimination, risks and differences in care based on ethnicity and race, as is the case of the experiences of indigenous and Afro-descendant women.” – Carolina Leguizamón, Programme Coordinator HNTPO Colombia

“We need a doctor who understands our culture, a doctor who knows how to deal with an indigenous person, we need doctors who speak our language, we need this type of institution to accompany us from the territory.” – Yasmilly Sarahin Palmar Pacheco, Wayú Women’s Collective.

Recommendations for a differential gender and ethnic strategy within the well being system

The dialogues and debates that arose allowed all members, together with HNTPO and the Ministry, to evaluation the progress, gaps and obstacles to accessing high quality, everlasting care inside the well being system.

Following the discussion board, the mentioned suggestion on the implementation of the differential gender and ethnic strategy within the well being system might be introduced in a technical doc to contribute to the Colombian well being system.