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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 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…
Mozambique has lacked a dedicated hotline to respond to the needs of persons at risk of or survivors of gender-based violence. The one existing service, Fala Criança, had been set up to respond to the needs of children who suffered abuse, but was not available to those over 18.
“Linha Verde 1458 will offer a fast and safe response to women who suffer violence during COVID-19. It is a source of pride for me, as well as my co-workers, to know that we are helping those who do not know where to go, especially during this period of COVID-19.” - Telephone operator at Linha Verde 1458.
To…
In December 2019, Spotlight Initiative established a fleet of Mobile One Stop Centres across Zimbabwe, which aimed to dismantle the barriers that survivors in remote and hard to reach areas faced in accessing GBV response services. As part of this, they supported volunteers engaged in GBV referrals by providing them with data and airtime packages to enable continuous two-way communication between volunteers, survivors, hotlines, and Mobile One Stop Centre teams. They also coordinated shuttle services and fuel for survivors who needed to reach the centres.
Results and feedback from survivors…
Mozambique is a large country, where over 60 percent of the population lives in rural areas, far from the nearest health facility. Mobile clinics offer clinical screening, treatment, information and referral for GBV cases, especially sexual violence, as well as broader reproductive health and general health services. This setup makes it easier for survivors of violence to approach the mobile clinics, without feeling ashamed or that the reason for the visit will be obvious to others. The mobile clinics bring together medical and drug assistance, sexual and reproductive health services, and…
Spotlight Initiative worked with the Women and Children’s Protection Unit of the Liberian police force within Nimba county to improve their handling of VAWG cases and their understanding of how to work with survivors of rape. Spotlight Initiative built a relationship with the Liberian police force and provided a team who supported them with monitoring activities and following up on cases that had been taken to court. In addition, Spotlight Initiative renovated the police office building, providing police forces with chairs and computers to allow them to do their work more effectively. They…
In Zimbabwe, the UN Trust Fund partnered with Family AIDS Caring Trust Zimbabwe, a women-led organisation dedicated to improving the lives of marginalised communities through health and poverty reduction interventions. The UN Trust Fund supported project “Voices from the Fringes” addresses violence against young women, adolescent girls and self-identified female sex workers, and works to promote their sexual and reproductive health and rights in five districts across Zimbabwe. Family AIDS Caring Trust reported that, of the 137 self-identified female sex workers with whom they worked, 98%…
In 2022, Spotlight Initiative, in partnership with Partnership for Justice, established the Nana Khadija Centre. This One Stop Centre is located in a Specialist Hospital within Sokoto State, Nigeria. The One Stop Centre provides rapid response and rehabilitation services to survivors of VAWG and is linked to a shelter that provides a safe environment for survivors who need a short-term place to stay. It also provides counselling services, medico-legal support, legal support and police support. They have a pharmacy that distributes necessary medicine to providers for free and they provide non…
In December 2019, Spotlight Initiative established a fleet of trucks equipped as Mobile One Stop Centres across Zimbabwe to help dismantle the barriers that survivors in remote and hard to reach areas faced to accessing VAWG response services. As part of this, they supported volunteers engaged in VAWG referrals by providing them with data and airtime packages, to enable continuous two-way communication between volunteers, survivors, hotlines, and Mobile One Stop Centre teams. They also supported the coordination of shuttle services and fuel to support survivors to travel to Mobile One Stop…
In Liberia, community awareness raising of VAWG and prevention activities have contributed to increased justice for survivors and strengthened institutions through gender-aware policies and stronger referral networks.
In 2020, Spotlight Initiative and partners supported community and national radio to share messaging that challenged negative social and gender norms that lead to VAWG, shared health guidelines related to COVID-19 and information about service referral pathways. These messages reached 23,425 community members, including traditional, religious and community leaders, and were…