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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…
Children aged 2 to 14 years, clap, stomp their feet, dance and sing under the porch of a small house in a suburb of Timor-Leste’s capital, Dili. The children are taking part in Spotlight Initiative-supported Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) activities under the Child Friendly Space (CFS) initiative organized by the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion (MSSI), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and non-governmental organization Ba Futuru (for the Future).
"My children look forward to the CFS activities. They sing, dance, are safe and happier.” - Angelina Menes…
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…
In Belize, the extreme shock of two hurricanes coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic led to tension in many homes. Spotlight Initiative engaged parents and children, including those with disabilities, in parenting programmes that addressed gender norms, biased attitudes and family violence, and offered critical mental health support and food assistance, including referrals to other services. Through this process, the programme found that parents were more willing to speak about family violence when their basic humanitarian needs have been met, underscoring the importance of a comprehensive…
Spotlight Initiative in Timor Leste worked with the Ministry of Health, community health providers, local NGOs, the police, and the Ministry of Social Solidarity to develop safe spaces for survivors of VAWG. These safe spaces aimed at providing immediate care to support the safety of GBV survivors, raising awareness around VAWG and women’s rights, facilitating access to legal and medical services for survivors, as well as promoting economic empowerment for women affected by GBV. They also helped coordinate advocacy for policy changes to address GBV. These Safe Spaces took a holistic approach…
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…
“Flowers in the Air” (“Flores en el aire. Cartografia para la memoria de victimas de feminicidios”) is an initiative established by Spotlight Initiative in 2021 to provide symbolic reparations, raise awareness and understanding, and help to provide justice for the families and friends of women and adolescents who have been killed through femicide.
This initiative worked with victims’ loved ones to map out the lives of these women. They did this by walking through places of significance to the memory of these women and used a digital tool to map these walks and document the memories…
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 2022 the Spotlight Initiative grantee, Women United Together Marshall Islands (WUTMI), launched a training to build understanding within Marshall Island Police Departments about how to take a survivor-centred approach, how to respond to VAWG survivors, and promoting positive masculinities. WUTMI worked closely with the mayors of each outer island to ensure police forces committed to the training. They encouraged mayors to join the training themselves to demonstrate their political leadership and commitment to ending violence against women and girls. Some testimonies from these officers…
Spotlight Initiative in Trinidad and Tobago connected new domestic violence legislation with healthcare services. The programme produced the National Clinical and Policy Guidelines on Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence, endorsed by the National Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health Committee. The Guidelines help healthcare providers to respond to survivors’ physical, mental, and social needs and make sure they get appropriate follow-up care.
Quality and accessible data are critical to inform clinical and policy decision-making. Spotlight Initiative…