The JOVIS group from Universitat Pompeu Fabra is participating in the project “Women Building a Culture of Peace: Creating Networks of Support and Solidarity between Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia and Catalonia”, launched by the Catalan Agency for Cooperation and carried out together with the organizations HUACAL and AVALON between 2026 and 2027.

The initiative will bring together over 100 women human rights defenders from Central America and Colombia, alongside an international research team, aiming to strengthen their capacities, create support networks, and promote collective strategies in contexts of violence and human rights violations.

The project arises in a context marked by militarization, political repression, and structural violence in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Colombia, where many women — particularly Indigenous, Afro-descendant, young women, or land defenders — carry out their work under high-risk conditions.

Over the course of two years, a participatory action research process will be implemented between organizations and universities to analyse the impact of these forms of violence from a feminist and intersectional perspective. At the same time, a specific training program will be launched, including the creation of an online diploma aimed at women defenders and local organizations.

Additionally, international spaces for meetings, exchange, and care —designed to share experiences and develop common strategies— will be organized in Honduras, Bogotá, and Santa Marta. These actions will be complemented by initiatives for political advocacy and visibility, as well as awareness-raising activities in Catalonia, including school debates, local community meetings, and a final multi stakeholder event in Barcelona.