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Securing long-term financial support for VAWG prevention and response in particular regions, countries and sub-regions can be a real challenge but is critical to sustaining programmatic efforts to end violence against women and girls. Resource mobilisation plans can help provide a clear roadmap on how best to secure longer-term financial commitments. Diversifying funding sources can be an important way to avoid any disruptions to programme activities.

A sustainability strategy is a joint plan which guides the transition from where the programme currently stands, towards a locally-owned vision for consolidating, maintaining, and scaling efforts to end VAWG. It outlines the necessary steps for all stakeholders. A planned sustainability strategy is essential for the ethical transition of VAWG programming away from the original funding mechanism. It is important that work does not prematurely end due to a lack of follow-on resources, particularly if significant progress has been made, or if there is a risk of survivors and marginalised groups…

By placing an emphasis on strengthening capacity and building skills of partners, programmes can have a long-term impact on ending violence. This work should occur at different levels to strengthen institutional mechanisms in government, service providers’ and organisations (i.e. CSOs and WROs), as well as individual expertise.

Some examples of areas of capacity building undertaken by the Spotlight Initiative include: gender-responsive budgeting, integrating VAWG in national action plans, working with CSOs in service delivery, training frontline personnel across sectors (i.e. health…

At community level, engaging in participatory dialogues and systematic community mobilisation at each stage of programming can be useful for building community-level support and ownership of efforts to end violence against women and girls.

Investing and working in diverse partnerships with civil society actors, feminist groups, international development actors, faith-based organisations, academia, influencers, private sector actors, politicians and leaders can help sustain impacts beyond the programme timeframe. These actors can continue influencing widespread change and affect social norms…

Embedding programmatic goals into national government initiatives and ensuring programmes support implementation of existing government policies both help to secure buy-in and long-term national commitment. Wherever possible, it is important to anchor ongoing initiatives, strategies and plans to end violence against women and girls with public commitments from policymakers. High-level political commitment by government to the elimination of violence against women and girls can help to institutionalise VAWG efforts and increase the impact and sustainability of VAWG programming. Furthermore…

Some methods to consider include:

Method
Resources
Desk-based research
Involves gathering information from existing data sources to use in analysis.

This often involves using web-based search engines to find relevant existing information from academic and other trusted sources - as well as consulting national or sub-national surveys with data on VAWG prevalence and known risk factors or violence:

Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS);
International Men and Gender Equality Studies (IMAGES);
UN Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence.

Key Informant…

Take a survivor-centred approach: Collecting data on VAWG is highly sensitive. Research can put respondents at risk of re-traumatisation if they are survivors, and of backlash from perpetrators and others. Only conduct data-collection with survivors if there is no other way to gather the necessary information and if the team have the skills needed to take a survivor-centred approach. Team members should be trained to know when and how to escalate disclosures of violence and refer women to available services and sources of support (see page on how to Map Existing VAWG Services).

Ensure…

Think carefully about who will conduct the contextual analysis. There is great benefit to including members of your programme team in this research, since this increases the likelihood that research is understood and acted upon during design and implementation. Involving local implementing partners in the data collection and analysis can also be useful since they are likely to be well-placed to provide important contextual insights to support programme design and implementation. Consider what is needed to support and train a diverse team with the required skills and local knowledge to conduct…

Key questions to consider when determining the depth and breadth of contextual research required to inform programme design include:

What is the programme scope, size and timeframe?
Is it an existing programme being implemented in a new context, or a new initiative in an existing context, or are both context and programme approach new?
What resources are available for conducting research?
What knowledge already exists about the specific populations and communities the programme is working with?
What data is available?
REMEMBER: Workplans and budgets should dedicate adequate time…

Local WROs and CSOs are in a unique position to lead efforts to end VAWG, given their deep contextual understanding of the needs of communities, the impact of VAWG, and their community networks. Programmes can amplify and strengthen WROs and CSOs by:

Advocating for laws and policies that protect the participation of WROs and CSOs.
Ensuring WROs and CSOs are included in the design, implementation and monitoring of programmes.
Supporting reciprocal learning and capacity strengthening for WROs and CSOs.
Providing flexible, long-term core funding to WROs and CSOs.
Strengthening…