Researching displacement together: Co-producing knowledge with displaced women in Colombia

Displacement is often discussed in statistics, but its true weight is felt in personal stories of survival and reinvention. This lecture focuses on the lived experiences of 24 displaced women in Colombia as they rebuild their lives in Bogotá and Medellín amid overlapping forms of violence. Join us to explore how their voices reveal displacement as a complex, ongoing reality.

This lecture explores the experiences of 24 displaced women in Colombia and the challenges they face while rebuilding their lives in Bogotá and Medellín. Drawing on knowledge co-produced with the women themselves, it focuses on their own explanations and descriptions of displacement, instead of treating it as an abstract concept.

The lecture looks at the economic, social, and political forms of violence that force people to leave their homes and that continue to shape daily life in the city long after resettlement. These forms of violence are deeply connected, creating ongoing insecurity.

The women’s stories show how the usual boundaries between different scales and types of violence become blurred—whether it is political violence at national, regional, or neighbourhood levels; state violence through harmful actions or neglect; or interpersonal harm. Their experiences reveal how these dynamics intersect and reinforce each other, making displacement not a single moment but a complex, continuing reality.

About Cedla

The Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation (CEDLA) Lecture Series is a public event programme that brings together international experts to share insights and new publications on Latin America. Each session features a 45-minute talk, followed by comments from a discussant and an open Q&A with the audience. Whether you’re a student, researcher, or simply curious about the region, you’re welcome to join the conversation. We’ll end the evening with drinks and nibbles at VOX-POP.