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There are several key principles which have guided Spotlight Initiative's approach to research on VAWG:
Ensure ethical data collection. The safety of women and girl participants should always be prioritised. This requires anonymising data, ensuring secure data storage, developing strong data-sharing protocols, and ensuring all those involved in the data collection, processing and dissemination process are trained on ethical research principles and survivor-centred approaches to research.
Use action-oriented feminist research approaches. This means that research should: focus on the…
A comprehensive theory of change: At the onset, Spotlight Initiative identified four key outcome areas that programming should work to strengthen in order to comprehensively address the root causes, drivers and consequences of VAWG:
A) Laws, policies and institutions (including data collection)
B) Prevention (including social norms change and women's economic empowerment)
C) Response (services for survivors and accountability of perpetrators)
D) Support to and partnership with women’s movements.
This theory of change provides a framework for stakeholders to select and adapt…
Spotlight Initiative has provided a range of mobile and remote services across contexts. As a result of Covid-19, it increased the number of remote services provided across its programming, applying lessons learned from across contexts to strengthen delivery and innovation. Key approaches and learning include:
Provide support through mobile clinics offering multiple services to all women and girls. Spotlight Initiative programmes have funded clinics open to all women and girls, not only survivors, in Mozambique, Niger, Haiti and Belize. These have offered coordinated sexual and reproductive…
Spotlight Initiative takes a coordinated approach to supporting the reintegration of survivors, recognising the need for multiple, complementary interventions. Key approaches and learning include:
Addressing economic, social and psychological needs: For example, as happened in Malawi, Spotlight Initiative ensured that livelihood and financial support programmes are complemented by the establishment of survivor support groups and advocacy efforts within the communities to which survivors are returning or joining.
Working with community members and survivors through the establishment of…
Spotlight Initiative has prioritised the provision of mental health and psychosocial support in both its prevention and response work. Key approaches and learning include:
Producing technical guidance on how to mainstream MHPSS into programme and service design and delivery. This seeks to apply the latest evidence and learning on MHPSS into prevention work, as well as quality response services.
Ensuring MHPSS needs assessments inform capacity building and programming. By conducting a needs assessment, the information collected can provide a profound understanding of the struggles with…
The Spotlight Initiative takes a multi-sectoral approach to establishing safe spaces, to ensure that survivors - and other women and girls - accessing these spaces have access to a variety of services including financial aid, legal aid, economic empowerment opportunities, sexual and reproductive health information, psychosocial support and counselling, and opportunities to develop skills to challenge harmful gender norms safely.
The Spotlight Initiative builds safe spaces in collaboration with communities and service providers, especially health and justice services. Part of these efforts…
Spotlight Initiative has ensured access to justice programmes that reflect holistic definitions of justice, informed by the experiences of survivors and communities. For example, in addition to supporting survivors to access and navigate both formal and informal legal systems, they have also supported communities to establish reparative memorials in honour of those killed through crimes of GBV. See case study below. Other key approaches and learning include:
Supporting justice sector leaders and decision-makers to understand the seriousness and impacts of GBV. For example, programmes have…
Spotlight Initiative has partnered with women’s rights organisations (WROs) at national and local levels across all outcome areas, for example, initiatives to prevent violence, to provide support to survivors, to engage in research and data collection, and to advocate for stronger institutions and legal and policy change.
Grant-giving mechanisms to support the work of WROs: The portfolio of work with women’s rights organisations also consists of Spotlight Initiative’s two Civil Society Grant-Giving Programmes, partnering with the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund)…
Spotlight Initiative has engaged the media in a variety of different ways and with a range of objectives, from raising awareness on VAWG and challenging harmful norms, to strengthening gender responsive coverage and reporting of GBV cases. By working with the media in these ways, Spotlight Initiative aims to generate widespread awareness, influence societal norms, empower survivors, and drive policy changes to end violence against women and girls. Key learnings include:
Leverage the power of the media through targeted behavioural-change campaigns. For example, work with radio, printed…
Spotlight Initiative recognises that effective training and resourcing is essential to ensure that police units are well equipped to respond to crimes of VAWG with a survivor-centred approach. Key approaches and learning from Spotlight Initiative programmes working with the police include:
Train police officers to prevent and respond effectively and sensitively to VAWG: For example, in the Marshall Islands, Spotlight Initiative trained police officers in survivor-centred approaches. See case study below.
Invest in Women and Children’s protection units within police forces to ensure there…