Advanced Search
When the COVID-19 pandemic started, many Spotlight Initiative programmes were already being implemented and teams had to quickly adapt implementation to changing realities. Overall, Spotlight Initiative rapidly accelerated and redirected more than USD 21 million across programmes to address VAWG in the context of COVID-19. For example:
Mobile and remote services were developed and reinforced to address the acute needs of women and girls. For example, the Zimbabwe programme scaled up mobile one-stop centre service provision, exceeding the set target by 300% and bringing women with…
Spotlight Initiative implemented the SASA! community mobilisation approach in both Haiti and Uganda, with careful focus on high quality training and mentoring of community activists and engagement with programme stakeholders.
In Haiti, Spotlight Initiative sensitised and trained women and girl leaders using the SASA! approach. In 2021, 26 mentors were trained, equipping them with the skills to support healthy relationships, build self-esteem, and apply effective facilitation techniques necessary for.
In Uganda, Spotlight programme scaled-up the SASA! community mobilisation and norm…
Independent monitoring and reporting by civil society on programmatic contributions can be critical to upholding programme legitimacy, relevance and accountability. In 2020, the Count Me In! Consortium and several members of Spotlight Initiative Civil Society Reference Groups collectively developed a Civil Society Monitoring Toolkit to monitor the work and contributions of Spotlight Initiative. Featuring a set of 26 indicators, the Reference Groups can use the toolkit to monitor the implementation of Spotlight Initiative programming at country, regional and global levels, with indicators…
Representatives of women’s rights groups and human rights-based civil society organisations - including those representing groups facing intersecting forms of discrimination- have been engaged in shaping Spotlight Initiative from its inception in governance and advisory roles. Spotlight Initiative teams have established Regional, National, and Global Civil Society Reference Groups (CSRGs), engaging diverse women’s rights and feminist activists as well as subject-matter experts and marginalised groups. CSRGs advise on and monitor implementation, recommend changes, and hold Spotlight Initiative…
In Guyana, private sector companies are being encouraged and supported by Spotlight Initiative to use the Women’s Empowerment Principles. The first steps in the process included mapping private sector companies, NGOs, and governments that could benefit from the WEPs. Next, a series of webinars were held to increase awareness of the WEPs, which resulted in 18 organisations expressing interest in joining the programme and developing gender action plans and gender gap analysis tools. Currently, there are 1,600 signatories in the Latin American and Caribbean region. It was learned that additional…
In Zimbabwe and Malawi, Spotlight Initiative programmes supported the development of sexual harassment policies at multiple levels.
In Zimbabwe, in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, the programme filled a critical gap by supporting companies to develop gender-based violence and sexual harassment policies through the creation of the Strategy for the Elimination of Sexual Harassment and Gender-based Violence in the Workplace in Zimbabwe 2021-2025. This was developed through a consultative process with feedback from diverse stakeholders including the government, trade unions…
In Niger, following the successful African Girls Summit in 2021, the feminist organisation "Fada de Filles" (Girls’ Fada) was founded with the support of Spotlight Initiative. A “Fada’’ is a traditional community space used for dialogue and speech, decision-making and solidarity, normally reserved for men and boys. These spaces are used to take collective decisions on community dynamics and how communities function. In the spirit of peer-to-peer mentoring, the concept of the Fada des Filles emerged from the need for girls to appropriate these spaces and contribute to transforming social norms…
In Nigeria, Spotlight programme has implemented the STEAM Flagship for Women and Girls, an integrated approach and good practice for developing life skills through “21st century entrepreneurship training” for women and girl survivors of violence, including those who have suffered harmful practices. STEAM stands for SRHR information; Technology skills for sales and marketing; Ending VAWG and harmful practices information; Accounting and business management skills; Manufacturing and start-up support. Women and girls in the programme received training as peer educators on sexual and reproductive…
In Liberia, Spotlight Initiative has supported over 225,562 Liberian women and girls to access a wide range of services in health, justice, protection, psychosocial and economic support.
“We are now focusing on the agriculture and business activities the EU and UN helped us to establish. I have practiced FGM for most of my life but now I advocate for girls to get an education unhindered and make their own choice of whether to undergo the initiation after they are 18 years old. I am happy that I still get to teach our good traditions to our girls and young women without causing any harm in…
Most women in Malawi do not have access to formal financial services because of persistent barriers in access to identification documents, mobile phones, digital skills, and financial capabilities. To bridge the gap in digital financial services, Zayela Digital Finance Programme was officially launched in 2022. Zayela seeks to strengthen women's economic empowerment opportunities by promoting the digital financial inclusion of women and young women at risk of violence in Spotlight Initiative implementing districts.
Results: Working with Airtel Malawi to operate the digital accounts, a total…