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Work with parliamentarians

Work with parliamentarians

Working with parliamentarians is important when addressing violence against women and girls (VAWG) because they play a pivotal role in developing and reforming laws, approving government budgets, as well as holding the executive branch of government accountable for implementation of laws and policies. As elected representatives, parliamentarians have the authority and responsibility to draft, pass and amend legislation, allocate budgets, and oversee government action. Moreover, parliamentarians can leverage their public influence to raise awareness and shift social norms, making them important allies in creating a safer, more equitable society.

Guiding Principles
  • Survivor-Centred Approach
  • Do no harm approach
  • Leave No One Behind, Equity and Non-Discrimination
  • Transformative approach
Spotlight Initiative

Approach and Learning

Spotlight Initiative aimed to build strong political commitment from the outset through working closely with Heads of State, ministers and parliamentarians, to encourage them to champion ending VAWG and implement laws, policies and programmes to enable this. Key approaches and learnings include:

  • Training parliamentarians on drafting VAWG legislation: Several Spotlight Initiative country programmes offered specialised training to parliamentarians on drafting and implementing VAWG legislation (e.g. Argentina, Honduras, Liberia, Malawi and Zimbabwe). This training focused on equipping parliamentarians with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop effective policies on VAWG. For example, in Malawi, parliamentarians received training on integrating gender perspectives into legislation, improving their capacity to create more effective laws on VAWG.
  • Training parliamentarians on gender-responsive budgeting: Spotlight Initiative trained 420 parliamentarians in gender-responsive budgeting in 2022, improving their ability to advocate for national budget allocations for crucial initiatives, such as support services for survivors.
  • Strengthening parliamentary councils and committees: Another key approach used by Spotlight Initiative was strengthening parliamentary councils and committees to foster collaboration between parliamentarians, women’s rights organisations and other key stakeholders working to end VAWG. See case studies on Papua New Guinea and Kyrgyzstan below.
  • Working with regional bodies: At a regional level, Spotlight Initiative Africa Regional Programme collaborated with the Southern African Development Community to strengthen parliamentarians’ ability to advocate for and develop national policy documents on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
  • Working through political transitions: To ensure the sustainability of VAWG programming and policy between political transitions, Spotlight Initiative invested in and built new partnerships with different government actors. For example, to address the transition in governments in Timor-Leste, Spotlight Initiative engaged in discussions with new parliamentarians and government officials to secure renewed commitments and raise awareness.

Top Tips

How to work with parliamentarians – top tips based on wider learning in the sector.

Click a tip for more information.
Help strengthen relations between parliamentarians and civil society
Build cross-party support with a diverse range of parliamentarians
Highlight constituents’ concerns and real life experiences
Provide specialised training and capacity-building on VAWG
Share the latest evidence to inform policy
Work with women parliamentarians and caucuses
Identify champions among parliamentarians and their staff
Be strategic around timing of engagements on VAWG
View Sources