Making Afro-Colombians Visible in 2005 Census, Colombia

Afro-Colombian girls from the Cerro Teta mine-worker community, in Cauca Department, Colombia, enjoy school kits provided by CWS. Photo: Yuli Larrahondo/CTCC

Church World Service, Andean Regional Office (CWSARO)

Afro-Colombians were encouraged to define themselves as such when filling out the General Census 2005 questionnaire, only the third time in their history that Colombians have had the chance to express their race. This is vitally important because Afro-Colombians are historically underrepresented due to stigma and racism. Being accurately represented in the Census is crucial to shaping public policy in areas such as housing, education, and healthcare. Afro-Colombians are 20 percent of the population, and 80 percent of them live in poverty. Only two percent have access to higher education.

The project enabled nationally recognized Afro-Colombian organizations to produce communication pieces for television, radio, and the press that encouraged Afro-Colombians to stand up and be counted as Afro-Colombians.

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