Advanced Search

Spotlight Initiative supported the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion (MSSI) to scale up the Hametin Familia parenting education programme to new locations, namely the municipalities of Ermera and Viqueque between 2019 and 2023. The parenting programme utilized group sessions to build knowledge, attitudes and practices of parents and caregivers, equipping them with the skills to better support the well-being and development of their children. Spotlight Initiative's roll out of Hametin Familia also included home visits, offering peer support for conditional cash transfer recipient…

In Malawi, 38% of girls and 7% of boys marry before the age of 18. Spotlight Initiative in Malawi recognised that schools alone could not solve this problem, but identified them as a one stakeholder in prevention and response. Spotlight Initiative was designed to be deliberately multi-layered. Its Safe Schools intervention taught adolescents how to detect and report sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices. At the same time, its One School, One Police Officer Initiative embedded the Malawi Police Service directly into schools and community structures, facilitating investigations…

In Honduras, Spotlight Initiative implemented the Cure Violence model in areas of high prevalence of gang wars and trafficking networks. 'Violence interrupters' guided discussions, identified risk factors, and used a collective rapid prevention technique to avert 1,770 violent incidents. Key lessons from the Cure Violence model included:The value of a multifaceted methodology. The Cure Violence model is based on WHO’s approach to reversing the spread of infectious diseases. It has three strategies - 1) detect and interrupt potentially violent conflicts; 2) identify and treat those at high risk…

Spotlight Initiative's Safe and Fair Programme, worked among ASEAN countries and engaged with employers’ organizations to improve the working conditions of women migrant workers. This included building the capacity of 1,003 employers in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam to address the concerns of women migrant workers. A group vulnerable to exploitation, harassment and abuse. Spotlight Initiative partnered with the ASEAN Confederation of Employers (ACE) to develop policy briefs that made the business case for preventing violence and harassment at work and detailed…

In Uganda, Spotlight Initiative has supported the SASA! Together – a community mobilisation approach that supports communities to create positive and sustainable changes in the norms that perpetuate violence against women and girls. SASA! Together is a revised version of the original SASA! Approach, developed by the Ugandan NGO Raising Voices. New features of SASA! Together include a distinct focus on intimate partner violence, strategies that reach across the whole community, and more support for organisations and communities to sustain change.  The SASA! Together methodology focuses on…

Spotlight Initiative worked with UNFPA and the Family Planning Association of Trinidad and Tobago (FPATT) to implement the Collaborative HIV Prevention and Adolescent Mental Health Programme (CHAMP). This supported young people and adult caregivers across three regions of Trinidad and Tobago to address HIV prevention and challenge norms around peer pressure and early adolescent sexual activity.  Spotlight Initiative trained around 25 community leaders as ambassadors to facilitate dialogues across different levels of the community. Over 200 young people and caregivers participated in these…

In Timor-Leste, the percentage of the national budget allocated to the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls was a point of concern, following a drastic funding reduction between 2019 and 2020. In 2019, 0.6 percent of the budget (10.4 million USD) was allocated to gender equality initiatives. This was reduced to a mere 0.1 percent of the budget (1.4 million USD) in 2020. Reductions in budget allocated to gender equality initiatives have adverse consequences that impede the protection of women’s rights and safety, as well as equitable access to education, healthcare…

In Liberia, the prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM) is 38.2% among women and girls aged 15-49 years old. FGM is usually performed by traditional birth attendants and/or ‘zoes’ who are elderly women believed to have mystical powers and are members of the ‘Sande’ group, an influential custodian of culture in Liberia. During the FGM initiation process, girls are also trained in 'bush schools’ to prepare them for married life and discussions of these processes are considered taboo in society. In addition to the cultural significance of the practice of FGM, there are also economic drivers…

Spotlight Initiative (led by UNICEF), in partnership with faith-based organisations (FBOs) and civil society organisations (CSOs), launched the Parenting for Childhood Development (P4CD) programme in six provinces of Papua New Guinea. The P4CD consisted of a series of training workshops for parents and caregivers of children aged 3-10 years in the selected communities based on a curriculum adapted for the context. Spotlight Initiative reached over 23,000 people through this activity.Six modules were delivered over 6-12 weeks and covered the following topics: educating parents on children’s…

In Mali, Spotlight Initiative supported the establishment of 829 model husband clubs for married men aged 20-40 (Club des Maris – CDM) and men planning to marry, aged 14-24 (Clubs des Futurs Maris – CDFM). A Model Husbands club is a voluntary space that brings men together to collectively reflect and take action to become a model husband. The clubs were designed to be participatory, open spaces for discussion, and promoting the shared values of active listening, equality and respect. The model husband clubs were sites of thematic sessions and discussions, led by men in the group, to encourage…