Natalia Pedraza Bravo is a Colombian photojournalist who has been working in journalism since 2018. Natalia’s work has been published in media such as El Espectador, Shock.co, Revista Cromos, Consejo de Redacción, and Agencia EFE. In 2021 she won the Women, Peace and Security National Journalism Award with an investigation of the sexual exploitation of indigenous girls in the Colombian Amazon. 

2023 IVLP Impact Award Project: Combatting Gender-Based Violence in Wayú Girls of La Guajira

This project raised public awareness about the gender-based violence of indigenous Wayúu women and girls in La Guajira, Colombia, and promoted a real change in the way this problem is addressed. Through a combination of interviews with women, documentary research and field reporting, the project addressed a topic that is greatly important to Colombian society and the protection of human rights.

Natalia was also a panelist for the IVLP Impact Awards Alumni Discussion Series panel on “Advancing Human Rights for Marginalized Communities,” which you can read more about here.

"Thanks to the colleagues I met in my IVLP experience, I learned about different ways of carrying out my work and exposing human rights issues." - Natalia Pedraza Bravo

2022 IVLP Impact Award Project: The Human Road Tolls of La Guajira, Colombia.

La Guajira is a predominantly indigenous region with one of the highest poverty rates in Colombia. In this part of the country, there are approximately 16,000 malnourished children, according to OICN figures, and the lack of access routes and corruption have perpetuated this situation. According to a 2020 report by the Research and Action Center for Legal and Social Studies, more than 60 children died of malnutrition in La Guajira and many others are exposed in the so-called, human road tolls, to get food. The human road tolls practice consists of lifting a rope in the middle of the desert and thus forcing the cars to stop. The people who go in the vehicles carry food, give it to the children and then continue on their way. In most cases, they are minors unaccompanied by an adult.

This issue has been poorly covered by journalists in Colombia. Through this project, a journalistic report was produced that denounced this situation, explained its origins, and offered options to resolve the conflict. Interviews were conducted with the local population of La Alta Guajira, from Riohacha to Punta Gallinas, and the report featuring several indigenous voices sharing their experiences was published on a national platform, bringing greater visibility to what Wayu boys and girls experience.  

Check out the article here: En la Alta Guajira los peajes se pagan con comida - https://www.elespectador.com/salud/en-la-alta-guajira-los-peajes-se-pagan-con-comida/

IVLP Exchange Experience

Natalia participated in the IVLP Project A Global Moment in Time: Photojournalists Document Challenges and Opportunities in the COVID Era in 2021 and 2022, organized by the U.S. Department of State and World Learning, in partnership with International House, International Institute of Wisconsin, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, Global Minnesota, WorldOregon, World Partnerships, Inc. and Global Santa Fe.

Natalia's exchange experience led her to develop her IVLP Impact Award Project: "Thanks to the colleagues I met in my IVLP experience, I learned about different ways of carrying out my work and exposing human rights issues."

U.S. Communities Visited in 2022

Washington, DC; St. Petersburg, FL; Santa Fe, NM

U.S. Communities Visited Virtually in 2021

Washington DC; Tampa, FL; Minneapolis, MN; Charlottesville, NC; Santa Fe, NM, Portland, OR; Dallas, TX; Milwaukee, WI

Country of Origin: Colombia

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