The ways in which constitutions incorporate women's human rights vary a great deal from country to country.
Some constitutions make ratified international treaties and covenants part of national law.
At the same time, demands were building in Colombia for constitutional reform. It was hoped a new constitution would help move the nation past the period of violent instability it had been experiencing. The legislative assembly began drafting the new constitution out of the collected reform proposals in 1991. Women's groups were determined that their concerns would not be overlooked. NGOs from across the country decided to unite in a single umbrella organisation, for the first time ever, to frame a strategy that would keep women's human rights high on the constitutional agenda.