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In March 2022, Spotlight Initiative, through a partnership with the UN Trust Fund, created a multi-stakeholder online hub for global exchange called SHINE. SHINE Hub operates as a combined knowledge hub, community of practice and advocacy hub, and is the first online knowledge exchange hub that brings together government, civil society, the United Nations, the European Union and other practitioners for active engagement to end violence against women and girls, and in the co-creation of knowledge.
The platform is accessible in more than 50 languages. It supports the creation, collaboration…
The Kyrgyzstan Programme set up a Participatory Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting (P-MER) function, a joint monitoring mission to Osh and Naryn regions in April 2022 with a group consisting of 13 representatives from key ministries and departments of the Government of Kyrgyz Republic, including the Office of the President, 8 Civil Society National Reference Group members, 14 representatives of the UN implementing agencies of Spotlight Initiative and the Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) and four media representatives. All members of the team came together to agree on a common vision, plan…
In 2020, the Count Me In! Consortium and members of Civil Society Reference Groups (CSRGs) collectively developed a Civil Society Monitoring Toolkit. The Civil Society Reference Groups were established by Spotlight Initiative, engaging diverse women’s rights and feminist activists, subject-matter experts and marginalised groups from local to global levels advising on and monitoring the implementation of Spotlight Initiative’s programming, recommending changes, and holding Spotlight Initiative accountable for its commitments. Through independent monitoring and reporting, CSRGs are critical to…
In Uganda, following the delivery of capacity strengthening sessions with government stakeholders, host and refugee communities advocating for EVAWG and the safety of women, new commitments were made in Yumbe District, which had a high prevalence rate of teenage pregnancies. Local authorities advocated for police to adequately investigate and bring perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) to justice. In Adjumani District, a GBV ordinance is being pushed for by district women councillors (women caucus) and has received support by the local chairperson.
Additionally, through ‘security…
In response to the alarming rise in femicides in Mexico, particularly in Chihuahua State, Spotlight Initiative worked to strengthen legal frameworks against gender-based violence. Despite existing laws like ‘Norma Oficial Mexicana’ and the General Law on Women’s Access to a Life Free of Violence, femicides continued to increase, driven by deep-rooted gender inequalities and weak law enforcement.
Spotlight Initiative undertook a comprehensive assessment of Chihuahua’s legal policies with Grupo de Accion por los Derechos Humanos y la Justicia Social A.C. (Action Group for Human Rights and…
Spotlight Initiative in Honduras has supported the ‘Cure Violence’ model – a transformative approach aimed at reshaping social norms to address the alarming rates of femicide and violence against women and girls. Honduras has the highest femicide rate in Latin America at 6 cases per 100,000 women in 2022, with a culture of impunity where 96% of such crimes go unpunished. This UNICEF-supported initiative involves mobilising communities to change social norms in areas affected by gang violence and trafficking. It uses ‘violence interrupters’ to lead community dialogues and efforts to identify…
In Liberia, the Spotlight Initiative programme has a Comprehensive Prevention Strategy that was developed through a coordinated and multi-stakeholder approach reinforcing government, civil society, and community ownership. This strategy informs all efforts to prevent sexual gender-based violence (SGBV), harmful practices and promote sexual and reproductive health and rights, and supports implementation of the Rape Law, Domestic Violence Law, and government-led Anti-SGBV Roadmap that protects women and girls from violence. Some key elements of the strategy include:
Social behavioural…
In 2021, Spotlight Initiative in Tajikistan supported the establishment of the School of Gender Activists (SGA). This initiative is the first-of-its-kind, aimed at building the capacities of CSOs working to end VAWG. The SGA works to train up local experts who can advise the Committee of Women and Family Affairs, as well as other ministries implementing and promoting gender policies in Tajikistan. The programme to establish the SGA was split into two phases. The first focused on individuals already working within NGOs, while the second targeted youth aged 18-35. The programme also engaged with…
In 2022, the Spotlight Initiative programme in Trinidad and Tobago aimed to improve CSOs’ access to grants through a three-tiered approach of stakeholder consultations, capacity building, and adapting processes to be more context-relevant. The objective was to support resource mobilisation and increase institutional, operational and technical capacities for long-term and sustainable work on EVAWG.
The programme began by consulting a Civil Society National Reference Group to discuss feedback on Spotlight Initiative’s funding opportunities and requirements. CSOs provided feedback that the…
In 2019, Spotlight Initiative’s Africa Regional programme conducted a mapping of 779 civil society organisations and community-based organisations, including 45 networks and coalitions, 11 groups of people with disabilities, 7 groups of people affected by HIV/Aids, one Albino group and 13 LGBTQI+ organisations. This database helped capture themes, existing strengths, gaps and capacities of these organisations. Spotlight Initiative was then able to provide targeted support across these organisations.
Following this, Spotlight Initiative established CSO Secretariats across the five focus…