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Spotlight Initiative represents a unique case of large-scale, ambitious investment in ending violence against women and girls (EVAWG). It has moved beyond fragmented project-based funding of VAWG prevention and response towards a more systemic strategy. Spotlight Initiative was launched in over 25 countries with substantial seed investment of €500 million from the European Union, signifying an unprecedented commitment to end VAWG.  

Central to its approach is the financing and participation of civil society and grassroots organisations, ensuring that the increased investment reaches those…

In Malawi, Spotlight Initiative aimed to increase collaboration and efficiency between UN agencies by establishing a shared office space known as ‘The Spotlight House’. All core team activities occurred in this office, promoting close inter-agency collaboration, reducing miscommunication and enhancing cost savings. 

The Spotlight House also became a visible symbol in the community with nearby signposts showing the Spotlight Initiative logo and donor banner. This increased recognition of the initiative as a joint EU-UN effort within local communities. 

The success of co-location prompted…

The Kitgum District local government in Uganda has developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to guide the provision of GBV services by partners in the region. The document describes the roles, responsibilities, guiding principles, and procedures for prevention of and response to any form of GBV by service area, namely medical, psychosocial, safety and security, and legal support.

The SOPs take a survivor-centred and multi-sectoral approach, focusing on joint coordination to ease accessibility of referral services for GBV survivors in the post-conflict setting. Featuring guiding…

The Gender-Based Violence Constant Companion Pocket Guide, developed by the Spotlight Initiative Belize programme contains basic tools for field practitioners to know what to do in case a GBV incident is disclosed to them, specifically:

How to support a survivor of gender-based violence, including Do’s and Don’ts of responding to a disclosure
Who discloses their experience of GBV, accompanied by a safe and ethical response to disclosure flowchart
Location-specific contact details for the local GBV focal point and advice on what to do in contexts where there is no GBV actor available
Th…

During COVID-19, Spotlight Initiative programmes needed to rapidly pivot programming to respond to the increase in violence against women and girls during the pandemic.

To meet the immediate needs of women and girls experiencing or at risk of violence, Spotlight Initiative Samoa programme took a flexible approach by repurposing its funds to work with the Ministry for Women, Community and Social Development and frontline service providers such as civil society organisations to create and distribute 400 “Prevention Packs” containing information and materials on COVID-19 and GBV translated in…

In Uganda, where Spotlight Initiative programme was implementing the SASA! community mobilisation programme, the team adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic by creating safety circles to connect regularly via WhatsApp and text, and ensuring community activists and leaders checked in with at-risk women via phone or in-person while social distancing.

In refugee settings in Uganda, the rollout and scale-up of the SASA! programming supported an increase in reporting on intimate partner violence and child marriage, demonstrating that women felt more confident to report violence. 100% of these reported…