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Colombia
Women in decision-making positions
18%
Members of local deliberative bodies are women (2,230 elected women)
No woman is Head of State/Government
29%
Parliamentarians are women
50%
Ministers are women

Government organization

Colombia is a unitary republic with two spheres of government: central and local.

One tier of central government and one or two tiers of local government composed of Departments with below municipalities or special districts, and the capital city of Bogota.
Central government
  • Head of State: The President of the Republic is directly elected by voters.
  • Head of Government: The President of the Republic is the Head of State and the Head of Government.
  • Legislative body: Congress is a bicameral legislature, with an upper house (the Senate) and a lower house (the Chamber of Representatives). Members of Congress are directly elected by voters.
  • Executive body: The National Government is formed by the President of the Republic and the ministers of the cabinet and directors of administrative departments, who are appointed by the President of the Republic.
Local government
  • Organization: Local government is organized into two tiers: an upper tier of the Capital District of Bogota and 32 departmental-level local government units, and a lower tier of 1,115 municipalities and eight municipalities considered to be special districts (Barrancabermeja, Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cali, Medellin, Mompox, Riohacha and Tumaco). The Capital District of Bogota is also a municipality considered to be a special district, but it is vested with the status and competencies of a departmental-level local government unit.
  • Competencies: Local government is responsible for levying taxes and issuing regulations regarding service provision, tourism, recreation, culture, sports activities, ecological patrimony, natural resources, cultural heritage, administration, and the budget.
  • Ministerial oversight: Ministry of the Interior

Overview of local government

Local government composition
Departmental-level government (departamentos)

Deliberative body: The departmental assembly is composed of 11-31 elected members. A president is elected by and from the departmental assembly to preside over it; the president is not vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The governor is elected to be the executive of the departmental level of government.

Capital District of Bogota government (Distrito Especial de Bogotá)

Deliberative body: The Bogota District Council is composed of 45 elected members. A president is elected by and from the Bogota District Council to preside over it; the president is not vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The Mayor of Bogota is elected to be the executive of the Capital District of Bogota.

Municipalities (municipios)

Deliberative body: The municipal council is composed of 7-21 members. A president is elected by and from the municipal council to preside over it; the president is not vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The mayor is elected to be the executive of the municipality.

Special district-level government (distritos especiales)

Deliberative body: The district council is composed of elected members. A president is elected by and from the district council to preside over it; the president is not vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The mayor is elected to be the executive of the special district level of government.

Local government elections
Electoral system

Electoral system for local deliberative bodies: proportional representation (closed or open list)

  • By default, elections take place using a closed list proportional representation system. However, each party may decide to use an open list.

Electoral system for governors/mayors: majority/plurality (first-past-the-post)

  • The governor/mayor is directly elected by voters.

Sources: Electoral Code, 1986 (amended through 2011), articles 5 and 7; Political Constitution of Colombia, 1991 (amended through 2021), articles 262 and 263

Quotas

Gender quotas: Legislated candidate quotas, sanctions

  • Candidate lists for deliberative bodies of more than five seats must be composed of at least 30% of each gender. Candidate lists that do not comply with the gender quota requirement are rejected.

Additional quotas: No

Source: Law on Regulating the Participation of Women at the Decision-making Levels of the Different Branches and Organs of Public Power, 2000 (amended through 2008), articles 28 and 32

Term of elections
  • Term length: 4 years
  • Last local elections: 2019
  • Next local elections: 2023
Electoral management body

National Electoral Council

National legal framework on local government
National legal framework
  • Political Constitution of Colombia, 1991 (amended through 2021);
  • Law on the Regime of Special Districts, 2013 (amended through 2021);
  • Decree on the Internal Regulations of the Bogota District Council, 2019;
  • Law of the Organization and Operation of the Parties and Political Movements, 2011 (amended through 2018);
  • Law on Regulating the Participation of Women at the Decision-making Levels of the Different Branches and Organs of Public Power, 2000 (amended through 2008);
  • Law on the Organization and Operation of Municipalities, 1994 (amended through 2021);
  • Decree on the Special Regime for the Capital District of Santafé de Bogotá, 1993 (amended through 2021);
  • Electoral Code, 1986 (amended through 2011);
  • Law on the Departmental Regime, 1986 (amended through 2021);
  • Law on the Municipal Regime, 1986 (amended through 2011).
Constitutional provisions on local government

There are constitutional provisions that establish local government in Colombia. According to Articles 286 and 287 of the Political Constitution of Colombia of 1991 (amended through 2021), “the departments, districts, municipalities, and indigenous territories are territorial entities. The territorial entities enjoy autonomy for the management of their interests, and within the limits of the Constitution and the law. By such virtue they will have the following rights: to govern themselves by their own authorities, to exercise the competences that correspond to them, to administer the resources and establish the taxes necessary for the fulfillment of their functions, [and] to participate in the national revenues.”

Legislative provisions on local government

Congress is responsible for establishing the national legal framework on local government. The key pieces of legislation that regulate local government are the Law on the Organization and Operation of Municipalities of 1994 (amended through 2021), the Decree on the Special Regime for the Capital District of Santafé de Bogotá of 1993 (amended through 2021), the Law on the Departmental Regime of 1986 (amended through 2021), and the Law on the Regime of Special Districts of 2013 (amended through 2021).

Sources:

1. UN Women: Data on share of women in local government as of 1 January 2023.

2. UN Women: Information on Head of State and Government as of 3 October 2023.

3. Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU): Data on share of women in the single/lower chamber of parliament as of 1 January 2023.

4. IPU and UN Women: Data on share of women in ministerial positions as of 1 January 2023.

5. Information on local government organization as of 1 January 2022.