In Zambia, Safe Spaces support girls to take charge of their future

KATETE DISTRICT, Zambia - Gender-based violence (GBV) has long been treated as a private family matter in Mukomanimau Village, leaving many girls to deal with abuse and harmful practices such as child marriage alone.

However, the introduction of Safe Spaces, a community-led mentorship model under Spotlight Initiative, is supporting girls to break the silence and advocate for their safety and agency.

These spaces allow adolescent girls to gather weekly to learn about their rights and share their experiences.

For 15-year-old Memory, the programme was a lifeline.

Before joining, she was withdrawn, believing that violence should be dealt with privately. “I used to think that what happened at home was my problem alone,” she recalls, reflecting on the period before she met her mentor, Theresa.

Under Theresa's guidance, Memory’s transformation was profound. She learned what constitutes violence, how to report it, and became an assertive communicator, gaining the confidence to speak up at home, school and in her community.

Memory’s parents soon noticed a remarkable change as she began advocating for her younger siblings' education and telling her family about the dangers of child marriage. 

“At first, parents were hesitant to allow their daughters to attend the safe spaces, thinking it was a waste of time. But now they see the positive change in their children’s confidence and communication,” village chief Headman Mukomanimau shared. “I hope that initiatives can extend to parents so that families, not just girls, are empowered with critical information about GBV.”

"Everything has changed. They feel more confident and stronger to stand up for themselves." - Theresa, Safe Spaces Mentor

Memory’s story shows how mentorship and Safe Spaces can help girls feel confident to speak up and make their own decisions. Other girls expressed that the space had helped them overcome social isolation and that they now knew how to access GBV and reproductive health services.

"Before these sessions, the girls felt so alone and at risk. They didn’t know where to go for health services or how to stay safe from violence. But now, everything has changed, they feel more confident and stronger to stand up for themselves," shared Theresa, the Safe Spaces Mentor.

In 2025, Spotlight Initiative reached more than 1,500 adolescent girls between the ages of 10 and 19 in Chinsali and Katete districts. Spotlight Initiative is a UN joint programme funded by the Embassy of Ireland and implemented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).