What Colombia Can Teach the Global SRHR Community

Voices That Unite Us

Just one month out from ICFP 2025, we’re taking you straight to the frontlines of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in our host country, Colombia!

Last month, the Family Planning News Network (FPNN) led an unforgettable reporting trip across Colombia to bring the global SRHR community closer to the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region ahead of ICFP 2025 in Bogotá this 1–6 November.

The trip gave twelve international journalists the chance to experience Colombia’s diverse realities, challenges, and innovations—and to document and share these stories with the world. From deserts to dense jungles, vibrant cities to the sparkling Caribbean coast, Colombia is bold, unique, and alive with communities driving change every day. The country offers poignant lessons for the global SRHR field—especially now, as rights are rolled back, funding landscapes shift, and defending SRHR grows ever more urgent.

These experiences make one thing clear: equity-focused, community-led approaches to SRHR work.

Discover Some of the Voices Shaping Change Across Colombia:

📍Bogotá → 

“Bogotá Is Ready to Welcome the Global SRHR Community for ICFP 2025”

The reporting trip began and ended in Bogotá, the vibrant capital city where ICFP 2025 will soon welcome thousands of SRHR professionals from around the world, showcasing Colombia’s leadership in advancing SRHR.

📍Cali →

“In Cali, Cultural Knowledge and Community Partnerships Drive Health Equity”

ICFP 2025 co-host Fundación Valle del Lili leads equity-focused programs in Cali and partners with other health systems through its Hospital Padrino strategy. Other initiatives—such as the Intercultural Birthing Room, CuidArte, and CaliAfro—support Afro-descendant and Indigenous communities, combining culture, care, and empowerment to strengthen SRHR.

📍Guapi →

“Guapi: Where Rivers, Rhythm, and Resilience Shape Sexual and Reproductive Health”

In this small, largely Afro-descendant Pacific town, ICFP 2025 co-host Profamilia partners with local Guapi leaders on youth SRHR education and mental health programs, while local midwives preserve ancestral knowledge and provide culturally grounded maternal care, blending tradition and modern health practices to strengthen SRHR.

📍Aracataca →

“In Aracataca, Local Educators, Young People, and Families Lead SRHR Transformation”

Parents, students, teachers, and government collaborate to break taboos and reduce teenage pregnancy, guided by supportive national laws and key initiatives like Profamilia’s youth-focused Valiente, which provides comprehensive sexuality education and continues to empower the community even after programs conclude.

📍Riohacha →

“From Bicycles to Birthing Practices: How Riohacha Boldly Upholds Reproductive Health and Rights”

With support from institutions like UNFPA, the Wayuu community blends traditional birth practices with modern healthcare, while women use bicycles to share SRHR information and address gender-based violence, and youth-led initiatives strengthen SRHR and community empowerment.

Thank you to our FPNN journalists as well as our partners, Profamilia, Fundación Valle del Lili, UNFPA, and the FP2030 LAC Hub for their immense support and collaboration in making this reporting trip possible.