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In Malawi, 38% of girls and 7% of boys marry before the age of 18. Spotlight Initiative in Malawi recognised that schools alone could not solve this problem, but identified them as a one stakeholder in prevention and response. Spotlight Initiative was designed to be deliberately multi-layered. Its Safe Schools intervention taught adolescents how to detect and report sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices. At the same time, its One School, One Police Officer Initiative embedded the Malawi Police Service directly into schools and community structures, facilitating investigations…

In Liberia, the prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM) is 38.2% among women and girls aged 15-49 years old. FGM is usually performed by traditional birth attendants and/or ‘zoes’ who are elderly women believed to have mystical powers and are members of the ‘Sande’ group, an influential custodian of culture in Liberia. During the FGM initiation process, girls are also trained in 'bush schools’ to prepare them for married life and discussions of these processes are considered taboo in society. In addition to the cultural significance of the practice of FGM, there are also economic drivers…

The guide “I belong to me” was written and illustrated by African women from different backgrounds and parts of the continent in Spotlight Initiative's Africa Regional Programme (first phase). It was designed to promote discussion between African parents and their pre-adolescent children around African culture and Harmful Practices, such as Female Genital Mutilation and Child Marriage. It follows the story of an 11-year old girl called Saleema who travels to different cities across the continent where the main African policies on girls and women’s rights have been adapted, in order for her to…

Spotlight Initiative in Malawi supported a Safe Space Mentorship Programme (SSMP). The programme supported girls and young women from 10 to 24 years old, through a weekly programme that ran for 6 months, addressing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender-based violence (GBV), harmful practices, referral pathways, and life skills. It aimed to empower young women and girls to recognise that violence is illegal, a violation of human rights, and to build the skills to sensitively challenge harmful social norms and behaviours that perpetuate violence against women and girls (VAWG)…

In Malawi, Spotlight Initiative commissioned an evidence review to inform programme and activity design, as well as identify knowledge gaps to inform the programme's research agenda. This research looked across and synthesised peer-reviewed and grey literature on Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), Harmful Practices (HP) and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in Malawi, including their causes and drivers. This revealed that drivers included religion, culture and educational attainment. Some of the extrinsic motivations, which came through this research process, included law…