In San Agustín, Huila, the National Gender Encounter brings together over 200 representatives from the Judicial Branch to discuss applying the gender approach as an ethical standard in justice administration. Magistrates from the High Courts and local authorities participate in conferences and artistic activities over two days. Governor Rodrigo Villalba opened the event, stressing equity as an institutional obligation.
The National Gender Encounter, held for the first time in southern Huila, marks a milestone for the region by turning San Agustín into the national hub for debating justice with a gender approach. Over 200 attendees, including magistrates from the High Courts, Judicial Branch authorities, and locals like Governor Rodrigo Villalba and Mayor Heber Nel Muñoz, participate in discussions aimed at eliminating stereotypes and ensuring contextualized judicial decisions that respect human dignity.
The two-day event began with the inaugural conference by Pedro Pablo Vanegas, a Council of State magistrate, on the ethical responsibility of applying the gender approach. The theater piece “Adán y Eva sin paraísos” by Casa E Borrero was presented, addressing power relations and normalized violence, and it closed with Magalys Virginia Ortiz's talk on poetry and transforming imaginaries. These activities were moderated by Alfonso Cajiao Cabrera and Juan Carlos Granados Becerra.
Magda Acosta Walteros, outgoing president of the National Gender Commission of the Judicial Branch, explained the choice of San Agustín for its symbolism: “Choosing this municipality is a deeply symbolic act because it is in this place where history remains carved in stone and where each ancestral figure invites us to reflect on the profound transformations”. She highlighted 2025 advances, with 30 sensitization sessions, and presented figures: 66,121 gender violence cases, 76.5% affecting women, and 8,203 in children aged 0 to 4.
The second day features María Natalia García de Castro's conference on the care economy, Adriana Marín's on art as social transformation, and a conversation with Margarita Ortega and others, moderated by Gina Magnolia Riaño Barón and Vladimir Fernández Andrade. The closure, led by Jorge Iván Duque, will emphasize institutional continuity. Villalba stated: “The application of the gender approach is not a favor or concession; it is a moral obligation”.