Juliet Gómez Osorio, lawyer and feminist, promotes a new way of practicing justice for women in Colombia
Juliet Osorio is the director of the Corporación Colectiva Justicia Mujer, a partner organization of the initiative Igualitarias: Transforming Territories, an alliance between UN Women and the Embassy of France in Colombia. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action.”, we highlight her testimony in support of access to justice with a focus on women’s human rights.
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Juliet Gómez Osorio, Director of Corporación Colectiva Justicia Mujer. Together with fellow members of the feminist movement, she helped establish the first interdisciplinary law firm of women lawyers in Colombia. Photo: UN Women/Nathaly Triana
“I am a feminist lawyer,” says Juliet Gómez Osorio with the conviction of someone who has turned that definition into both a political and professional commitment. As director of the Corporación Colectiva Justicia Mujer, she explains that the organization emerged from the initiative of four feminist lawyers determined to transform the traditional practice of law in Colombia.
Today, she says, they are the first interdisciplinary women-led law firm in the country working to “feminize the law,” as they describe it: a legal practice that places women’s experiences at the center, defends their rights, and seeks to transform the structures that perpetuate inequality.
Corporación Colectiva Justicia Mujer is one of the ten partner organizations of Igualitarias: Transforming Territories, an initiative by UN Women in partnership with the Embassy of France. Photo: UN Women/Nathaly Triana
In Antioquia, the process has been, in her words, “quite rewarding.” Through the initiative Igualitarias: Transforming Territories, they have strengthened protection and self-protection strategies for women leaders and survivors of gender-based violence. Yet the work goes beyond supporting individual cases. The goal is to influence policy and transform the structures that have historically limited the full exercise of rights and freedoms.
“The right to defend rights has always been at the center,” Juliet emphasizes. From a psycho-legal perspective and an innovative feminist approach, the organization has formed alliances with other women leaders, activists, and social movements. This network of support has made it possible to accompany cases, promote guarantees, and expand political advocacy in key decision-making spaces.
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Despite the challenges, including setbacks in rights, limited funding, and the violence faced by human rights defenders, this year marks an important milestone: ten years of collective work. “We are taking a moment to celebrate,” she says. A celebration not only of endurance, but also of the shared effort to build strategies that seek to provide protection, guarantees, and well-being for those who sustain this work.
The initiative Igualitarias: Transforming Territories is grounded in the recognition of women’s organizations as essential pillars of democracy, peace, and social justice across Colombia’s territories. Photo: UN Women/Nathaly Triana
For Juliet, memory is also a right. Preserving feminist memory, she says, is almost an ethical and political obligation for those engaged in activism. Remembering what has been achieved, documenting progress, and sharing experiences allows other women to recognize that transformation is possible.
“We are convinced that it is a powerful tool to continue shaping stories and changing the world,” she concludes.
In her words, “feminizing” the law is not just a slogan. It is a daily practice of resistance, accompaniment, and transformation that, ten years later, continues to advocate for feminist justice and more equal territories for all.
Note: These posts aim to stimulate constructive debate around the key issues of interest for advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in Latin America and the Caribbean. The views expressed by individuals interviewed for the production of our editorial content do not necessarily reflect the official position of UN Women or the agencies of the United Nations system.
