Spotlight Initiative in Guyana moves into second phase of implementation
- Continues to rely on strong partnership and national ownership for eradication of GBV in Guyana
In February 2023, the Spotlight Initiative team hosted a virtual meeting with SI stakeholders. Planned activities for the second phase of the project were also addressed.
European Union Ambassador Rene Van Nes, during brief remarks at the meeting, highlighted the importance of partnerships and commended the team in Guyana for the work executed in 2022. He praised the Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, who he said has taken the lead in ending violence against women and girls (VAWG); the UN Resident Coordinator, Yeşim Oruç; Recipient UN Organisations (RUNOs); and civil society organisations for their involvement and commitment to the work of the SI. “Through this vital initiative, we are committed to ensuring our partnership continues to deliver the kind of results needed in addressing Gender Based Violence globally by supporting countries like Guyana. Spotlight is the largest targeted effort in the world to end all forms of violence against women and girls, where the EU made a substantial investment of €500 million for this global initiative. The EU is committed to continuing to promote women and girls' full enjoyment of human rights as a priority across all areas of our actions,” the Ambassador said.
The UN Resident Coordinator, underscored the importance of partnerships and credited the partners of the Spotlight Initiative as one of the main reasons for the programme's success in Guyana. She also remarked on the wide reach of the SI and commended the success story of Guyana’s national ownership of the programme since its implementation.
Minister Persaud emphasized the need to maintain a unified approach within all groupings of the SI for the programme to remain successful. She added that systems put in place must be accessible, inclusive, and spread across the country to give a full understanding to citizens that there are support networks across our geography. The Minister also stated that she wants to give particular focus to prevention and intervention within the Spotlight Initiative. “What I really want to see is a reduction in the number of cases that we are seeing, and I think the next phase that we are about to embark on will bring to fruition a number of proprietary efforts that we would have done in the first phase and although the time is short, I know we are poised to making a lot of these things into realities and bringing to the fore one of the very good things that Guyana has managed to do which is national ownership of Spotlight,” she said.
Minister Persaud’s comments specifically referred to the sustainability aspect of the Spotlight Initiative. At the close of the programme this year, the onus will be on the respective host countries to maintain the momentum and, using the model of the Spotlight Initiative, continue the work of ending violence against women and girls at a national level. Minister Persaud assured that Guyana is ready to undertake the responsibility of continuing the programme while tweaking respective programmes and initiatives to fit the particularities of Guyana’s society.
In Phase II the programme will build on the foundations laid in Phase I. Plans for 2023 include supporting an implementation plan for the roll-out of new legislation on Harassment and Family Violence; support for the entrepreneurial empowerment to the vulnerable through MoHSSS support mechanisms; support to CSOs to engage media partners to improve the advocacy platforms for the media, sports, and other sectors; piloting of models of GBV services delivery; this will include the GBV Essential Services Package, the GBV Mobile & Remote Services Delivery models, the GBV One Stop Center model, and the strengthening of interventions to address the economic empowerment of women and strengthening of GBV Case Management services and GBV information management systems.
The Spotlight Initiative is fully endorsed by the government of Guyana and several of the programme’s interventions will be integrated in the government’s structures and mechanisms to improve the existing systems to address GBV.
About the Spotlight Initiative
The Spotlight Initiative is a global initiative of the United Nations which has received generous support from the European Union. Its aim is to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. Its investments across more than 25 countries are addressing legislative and policy gaps, strengthening institutions, promoting gender-equitable attitudes, and providing quality services for survivors. Interventions are also strengthening systems for collecting data on violence against women and girls and women’s movements. Learn more at www.spotlightinitiative.org.
