2020
Juliana Laguna Trujillo
- Age: 30
- | She/her/hers
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The voices of young people are more important than ever in the fight against structural violence that generates unequal access to rights. Passionate engagement, new ideas, refreshing approaches, risk taking, and creativeness are key elements that youth can bring to the table in the fight for gender equality.
- Juliana Laguna Trujillo
Bio
Juliana Laguna Trujillo was born and raised in Colombia. She received a law degree from Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia. As a Staff Attorney at Women’s Link Worldwide, Juliana develops and executes legal strategies on multidisciplinary projects concerning sexual and reproductive rights and gender crimes in the context of armed conflicts in Latin American and the Caribbean. She is responsible for supporting strategic litigation projects by conducting legal research and analysis, producing high-quality legal documents for diverse audiences, and engaging with partner organizations, activists, and media.
What ignited your pursuit for gender equality?
Seeing that gender stereotypes can put limits on our dreams and life expectations made me realize the importance of fighting for gender equality. As long as gender, as well as other factors such as race, income, religion, ethnicity, and others, determine the access to rights and services, there will be no equality. That is why I advocate from a legal standpoint for equal access to rights for girls and women, hoping this fight transcends courtrooms and ignites social change toward more equal societies.
Please share your biggest wins as an advocate for gender equality.
As an attorney at Women’s Link Worldwide, I have led the team that has accompanied a survivor of reproductive violence in the ranks of an illegal armed group in Colombia in her fight before national institutions and courts for the recognition and redress of the violations to her reproductive rights she endured. As a result, in December 2019 the Constitutional Court of Colombia issued a landmark decision in which it decided to grant her access to comprehensive reparations as an ex-combatant victim of reproductive violence within the ranks of an illegal armed group.
Outside of your gender equality advocacy work, what do you enjoy doing?
I like reading, cooking, practicing yoga, and, before COVID-19, I enjoyed traveling and going out with friends.
Languages Spoken:
- English (Advanced/Native)
- Spanish (Advanced/Native)
Publications:
Speaks On:
- violations of sexual and reproductive rights in the context of the armed conflict in Colombia
- transitional justice and gender-based crimes
- consequences of criminalization of abortion for girls and women in Central America and the Caribbean
Past Awards, Certifications, or Fellowships:
- Conflict-related Sexual and Gender-based Violence Course from the Institute for International Criminal Investigations
