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In 2019, the United Nations’ Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) and Spotlight Initiative established a strategic partnership to channel funding to civil society organizations (CSOs) working to end violence against women and girls (VAWG) in conflict and crisis situations.
The lack of financial resources is a common constraint for grassroots women’s groups in Uganda. Any coalition’s work must be accompanied by economic empowerment. As part of the partnership between the WPHF and Spotlight Initiative, Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) received support. As part of this partnership, UWONET…
In 2019, the United Nations’ Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) and Spotlight Initiative established a strategic partnership to channel funding to civil society organizations (CSOs) working to end violence against women and girls (VAWG) in conflict and crisis situations. WPHF and Spotlight Initiative also collaborated to strengthen networking and peer learning among CSO partners from across the world through the Global Learning Hub (L-HUB) online events.
As part of WPHF and Spotlight Initiative’s partnership, support was provided to Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET). As a result of…
In 2019, the United Nations’ Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) and Spotlight Initiative established a strategic partnership to channel funding to civil society organizations (CSOs) working to end violence against women and girls (VAWG) in conflict and crisis situations. WPHF and Spotlight Initiative collaborated to strengthen networking and peer learning among CSO partners from across the world through the Global Learning Hub (L-HUB) online events.
As part of the WPHF and Spotlight Initiative partnership, support was provided to the CSO Green Concern for Development (GREENCODE), i…
Spotlight Initiative in Malawi engaged in an innovative practice by including the perspectives and experiences of communities and rights holders into the design and implementation of the programme’s Midterm Review.
Through focus groups discussions, key informant interviews and one anonymous survey, this inclusive process had two main objectives: to check whether women and girls and other stakeholders felt the programme was relevant and sustainable, and to assess what was and was not working (and why) so that the Malawi Spotlight Initiative team could recalibrate programming.
As a result…
In Niger, the Spotlight Initiative programme set up a mentorship programme in safe spaces to strengthen the capacities and skills of out-of-school or never-schooled, married or unmarried adolescent girls aged 15-19. A comprehensive mentorship guide and curriculum was developed covering the following areas across 28 sessions:
Life skills: Self-awareness, self-esteem and emotional management; values and behaviours; decision-making, problem-solving and negotiations; leadership, communication and organisations skills and team-working.
Reproductive health: Women's reproductive system…
in Mozambique, Spotlight Initiative provided support to local organisations to improve community-based coalition and movement building. This support resulted in over 25 local civil society organisations and community-based organisations exchanging their experiences on best practices and challenges on sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence and child marriage. District platforms were created, in alignment with the country’s policy of decentralisation, to promote the human rights of women and girls. These platforms led to 285…
In 2021, the Spotlight Initiative programme in Mozambique worked with local leaders to support them to prevent child marriage. They established provincial forums of traditional authorities in three provinces where 133 informal and formal decision-makers were engaged in dialogues on gender and VAWG. Overall, 1,038 community leaders took part in “reflection sessions” to discuss ways to prevent child marriage.
“Behaviour change takes time. With the support of the Government and Spotlight Initiative, we are leading several community-driven actions towards gender equality” - Community leader…
In Uganda, Spotlight Initiative supported the SASA! Together – a community mobilisation approach that supports communities to create positive and sustainable changes in the norms that perpetuate violence against women and girls. SASA! Together is a revised version of the original SASA! Approach, developed by the Ugandan NGO Raising Voices. New features of SASA! Together include a distinct focus on intimate partner violence, strategies that reach across the whole community, and more support for organisations and communities to sustain change.
The SASA! Together methodology focuses on…
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’ secret society, 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…
In Mali, Spotlight Initiative supported the establishment of 829 model husband clubs for currently married men aged 20-40 (Club des Maris – CDM) and men planning to marry aged 14-24 (Clubs des Futurs Maris – CDFM). A Model Husbands club is a voluntary space that brings men together to collectively reflect and take action to become a model husband. The clubs are participatory and open spaces for discussion, sharing and decision-making built on the values of active listening, equality and respect. The six thematic sessions are built on a gender transformative approach, are led by men in the…