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In 2021, the Spotlight Initiative team in Malawi conducted a mid-term assessment to take stock of the first phase of the Spotlight Initiative programme, which ran from 2019-2022. The aim was to assess the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of the programme and to develop relevant recommendations to improve project implementation.

The evaluation team conducted Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with 62 individuals. These were spread across national and sub-national levels and included six government officials, three EU Delegation staff…

Civil Society Reference Groups (CSRGs) have been formed at the national, regional and global levels to advise, monitor and hold Spotlight Initiative programmes accountable to women, girls and feminist movements. As a reflection of participatory monitoring, national CRSGs have developed independent scorecards to monitor Spotlight Initiative’s processes and systems, with a focus on civil society participation in programme design, access to funding, and engagement in implementation, among other areas. The scorecards, and approach to the scorecard, represents an increasingly (participatory) way…

The Niger Civil Society Reference Group (CSRG) have implemented and tested various PME approaches to assess national programme results. Through monitoring visits conducted in all four target provinces in-country, members of the CSRG have listened to the stories of women and girls served by Spotlight Initiative, learning more about their expectations and hopes. In a safe and secure environment, Civil Society Reference Group members transformed “programme beneficiaries” into valuable advisers and agents of change. For example, the National CRSG conducted independent monitoring using the Civil…

Global-level work by Spotlight Initiative on participatory monitoring and evaluation has provided critical support to national-level leadership in advancing participatory monitoring and evaluation. For example, in Malawi, the Spotlight Initiative team set up monitoring structures at district level called “communities of practices”. These are composed of diverse stakeholders and led by district officials, taking a decentralised approach in order to create a more autonomous approach to reporting, including on Spotlight Initiative programming. They are seen as instrumental to ensuring local…

The Safe Mobile App (SAV-APP) aims to improve the ability to report, respond and fast-track cases of violence. Designed primarily for young women between 12 and 24 years, the app not only facilitates timely reporting of incidents but also connects women with medical, counselling, and policy assistance in emergencies. Launched in 2020, the app was developed with the support of the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund under Spotlight Initiative.


"Through Spotlight Initiative, we have seen more women and girls coming up to report cases by themselves." - Inspector Muna Meah, Commander in the…