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In Niger, the Spotlight Initiative programme set up a mentorship programme in safe spaces to strengthen the capacities and skills of out-of-school or never-schooled, married or unmarried adolescent girls aged 15-19. A comprehensive mentorship guide and curriculum was developed covering the following areas across 28 sessions:
Life skills: Self-awareness, self-esteem and emotional management; values and behaviours; decision-making, problem-solving and negotiations; leadership, communication and organisations skills and team-working.
Reproductive health: Women's reproductive system…
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…
Spotlight Initiative established community and survivor funds to improve access to services for survivors who could not otherwise afford to seek essential services or justice, while also supporting the economic recovery of survivors as part of longer term rehabilitation. Specifically, community and survivor funds were established to:
Improve access to services for survivors and Obstetric Fistula patients (OF) from marginalised and remote areas;
Support the economic recovery of survivors and OF patients as part of their long-term rehabilitation; and
Improve access to justice by…
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…
Since April 2020, Spotlight Initiative Zimbabwe, in partnership with Padare Men’s Forum on Gender, has built a movement among men and boys to prevent VAWG and achieve positive transformation at the community level. The project seeks to achieve personal transformation in community leaders who can in turn influence their communities; leaders who will change from being viewed as conspirators and potential perpetrators of GBV to being responsive, credible, and effective leaders in addressing GBV.
In addition, the project aims to transform the negative attitudes and beliefs that drive harmful…
Spotlight Initiative in Malawi has partnered with the Government and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to establish Safe Spaces across the country. These spaces are run by “Mentors” who are trained to support women and girls to navigate and challenge gender based violence. They are also trained to intervene and follow up in cases of child marriages.
Women and girls who access these spaces are able to access services including sexual and reproductive health, psychosocial support, and counselling. In addition, they are given opportunities to develop skills to negotiate and challenge harmful…
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…