Spotlight Initiative's regional programme in Africa will be fully aligned to national and regional priorities, including the goals and priority areas of the African Union's Agenda 2063.

The programme will be supporting the overall regional response to addressing sexual gender-based violence, harmful practices and sexual and reproductive health and rights. It will also respond to the African Union's priority of ending child marriage and female genital mutilation across the continent.

The Spotlight Initiative regional programme for Africa includes funding for the existing UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on Female Genital Mutilation and the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage. The regional programme will also support the strengthening of women’s movements in Africa by providing dedicated funds to civil society organizations, including through the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women.

The Africa programme is currently being developed.

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The Spotlight Initiative regional programme in Africa provides a regional response to addressing sexual gender-based violence, harmful practices and sexual and reproductive health and rights. The programme puts a special focus on empowering women's movements.
Coords
2.6715526, 25.393849

Zambia

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-15.3931473, 28.3078516
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The Spotlight Initiative Zambia Country Programme aims to strengthen legislation, policies and data; address harmful norms and behaviours; ensure quality essential services for women and girls who experience violence; and strengthen civil society and women's movements working to eliminate gender-based violence.

Mozambique

Coords
-17.8585774, 36.8720444
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The Spotlight Initiative in Mozambique supported the country’s efforts to ensure that every woman and girl can live a life free from all forms of sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices, such as child marriage, and can enjoy sexual and reproductive health and rights. The programme ended in 2023.

Africa Regional Programme

Coords
9.0327551, 38.765361
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The Spotlight Initiative Regional Programme in Africa provided a regional response to addressing sexual gender-based violence, harmful practices and sexual and reproductive health and rights. The programme put a special focus on empowering women's movements. 

Liberia

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6.4904426, -10.6525358
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The Spotlight Initiative in Liberia aims to reduce the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices and increase women’s and girls’ access to sexual reproductive health and rights.

Mali

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12.6132402, -7.864806
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The Spotlight Programme in Mali aimed to eliminate gender-based sexual violence, harmful practices and barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health rights. The programme concluded in 2023.

Uganda

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0.3645815, 32.5886564
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The Spotlight Initiative in Uganda capitalizes on existing programmes and interventions addressing violence against women and girls, harmful practices and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Malawi

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-13.9155579, 33.7857056
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The Spotlight Initiative invested in a prevention strategy that addressed structural issues related to sexual and reproductive health rights. The Malawi programme concluded in 2023.

Niger

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17.6078, 8.0817
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Spotlight Initiative supported gender equality in Niger through evidence-based, responsive interventions. The programme concluded in 2023.

Zimbabwe

Coords
-19.4511567, 29.8149366
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The Spotlight Initiative in Zimbabwe advanced the elimination of gender-based violence and harmful practices through a broad partnership with civil society, government, the private sector and the media. The programme built a social movement of women, men, girls and boys as agents of change. It concluded in 2023.

Nigeria

Coords
9.0152801, 7.5728566
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The Spotlight Initiative in Nigeria focused on prevention efforts, particularly addressing the root causes of gender-based violence and harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation, and ensuring access to inclusive, timely and quality services for victims and survivors. The programme concluded in 2023.

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