‘Spotlight Initiative is showing us the way’ - UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed launches Spotlight Initiative Impact Report

UNITED NATIONS, New York - Spotlight Initiative launched its impact report ‘Unprecedented: A Pathway for Eliminating Violence against Women and Girls’ at an event on the sidelines of the High-Level Political Forum in New York. 

Moderated by Spotlight Initiative’s Deputy Global Coordinator Erin Kenny, the launch brought together representatives from the United Nations (UN), Member States and civil society to celebrate the progress made during the first phase of Spotlight Initiative and to discuss how to sustain those gains during the Initiative’s second phase. 

The event was co-sponsored by the European Union and Belgium.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed reflected on the pervasive but preventable nature of gender-based violence in her opening address.

“I am here today to unequivocally say that ending violence against women and girls is not only imperative - it is possible,” said Ms. Mohammed. “And Spotlight Initiative is showing us the way.”

She highlighted some of the successes contained in the report, which outlines the cumulative results of the Initiative since its launch in 2017.

“[Spotlight Initiative], now implemented across more than 25 countries, will help to prevent 21 million women and girls from experiencing violence by 2025,” said Ms. Mohammed.

“Among its many astonishing results, the Initiative has doubled conviction rates for perpetrators of gender-based violence across 13 countries, leading to over 13,000 convictions. The Initiative has ensured an increase in national budgets dedicated to addressing gender-based violence by nearly 13-fold across 13 countries… Nearly three million women have accessed essential services, and six million men and boys have been educated on respectful family relationships, non-violent conflict resolution and positive parenting,” shared Ms. Mohammed.

“I call on Member States here and across the globe to contribute additional and much-needed investments to Spotlight Initiative… With your support, we hope to scale the Initiative to become a $1 billion fund that will move us all towards the elimination of the global incidence of violence for the one in three women.”

Ms. Mohammed thanked the European Union (EU) for their historic, foundational investment in Spotlight Initiative and recognized the governments of Belgium and the United States for becoming the most recent contributors to the Initiative’s next phase.

Head of the European Union Delegation to the UN, Stavros Lambrinidis, said that the Initiative’s “whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach had been up to 90 per cent more effective than traditional siloed programmes.

“I submit to you that a big part of that [success] is because Spotlight is not a top-down approach. Civil society organizations are truly at the heart of Spotlight’s impact,” he said. 

Mr. Lambrinidis expressed delight that the Initiative had been selected as one of the 12 High-Impact Initiatives within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and reiterated the EU’s commitment to gender equality and consolidating the results of Spotlight Initiative.

Permanent Observer of the African Union to the UN, Fatima Kyari Mohammed, reflected on the alignment of Spotlight Initiative’s Africa Regional Programme with regional and national priorities, and how this facilitated a multi-faceted approach to eliminating gender-based violence. 

“The Africa Regional Programme focused not only on the challenges faced by women and young girls, but also underscored the need to invest in their potential – especially in the global context,” said Ms. Mohammed. 

Ms. Mohammed said that Spotlight Initiative had driven significant action in policy and legislative measures, as well as enhanced accountability on ending violence against women and girls. 

Permanent Representative of Belgium to the UN, Philippe Kridelka, said the Initiative was part of a broader and ongoing struggle for equal rights and autonomy for all women and girls. Mr. Kridelka also spoke of the need to dismantle toxic masculinity and gender stereotypes.

“We need to transform and tackle them, and we need a programme like Spotlight Initiative,” he said.

Ecuador’s National Development and Planning Minister, Sariha Moya shared some of the highlights from Spotlight Initiative in her country. Ms. Moya said that the Initiative’s support had been critical to transforming laws into policy and enabled data collection that helped to ensure violence was effectively addressed.

“The Unified Violence Registry System is one of the most important examples,” she explained. “This registry brings together a lot of ministries so that they can gather all the signs of violence they see [in one place] and we can take action.”

Mexico’s Director General of Global Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Camila Isabel Zepeda Lizama, also highlighted the importance of laws, policies and data in addressing gender-based violence in Mexico. 

Ms. Zepeda Lizama said that Mexico had done six reform packages that affected 25 laws, increased the number of women's justice centres and care centres, and strengthened 41 civil society organizations with small grants to address the specific needs of different communities.

Founder of Trinidad and Tobago’s CEDAW Committee and member of Spotlight Initiative’s Global Civil Society Reference Group, Terry Dale Ince reiterated the importance of civil society to the Initiative’s implementation and sustainability. Ms. Ince explained that work with civil society needed to be “intentional, consistent and funded” to consolidate progress towards equality.

Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UN, Yoka Brandt, also spoke about the importance of listening to and partnering with survivors and women.

“We support the [Initiative’s] approach but also the ambition to scale up and grow the fund in its second phase,” said Ms. Brandt. 

UNFPA Deputy Executive Director for Programmes, Diene Keita, represented the UN core technical agencies supporting Spotlight Initiative.

“We are working globally across agencies to enhance our partnership and resource mobilization efforts,” said Ms. Keita. She expressed her commitment to scaling Spotlight Initiative up to a $1 billion fund operating in 60 countries. 

“Let us continue to work together with renewed vigour and determination.”

World Bank FCV Gender Lead, Doreen Kibuka-Musoke, spoke about an approach paper she led on advancing gender engagements in fragile, conflict and violent situations and the need to address prevention and response together.