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Organización de las Naciones Unidas, East 42nd Street, Nueva York, EE. UU.

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Amina J. Mohammed (Crédito: ONU Mujeres / Ryan Brown).

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Organización de las Naciones Unidas, East 42nd Street, Nueva York, EE. UU.

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Organización de las Naciones Unidas, East 42nd Street, Nueva York, EE. UU.

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La Sra. Amina J. Mohammed es la Vicesecretaria General de las Naciones Unidas y la Presidenta del Grupo de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo Sostenible. Antes de su nombramiento, la Sra. Mohammed fue Ministra de Medio Ambiente de la República Federal de Nigeria, cargo desde el cual dirigió las iniciativas de su país relacionadas con la acción climática, así como sus iniciativas para proteger el medio natural. La Sra. Mohammed comenzó su carrera trabajando en el diseño de escuelas y clínicas en Nigeria. Trabajó como defensora y promotora, centrándose en aumentar el acceso a la educación y otros servicios sociales, antes de pasar al sector público, donde llegó a ser asesora sobre pobreza, reforma del sector público y desarrollo sostenible de cuatro presidentes sucesivos del país. Es copresidenta del Consejo de Administración de la Iniciativa Spotlight.

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Cerrando la brecha entre los servicios de violencia de género y las comunidades en Papúa Nueva Guinea

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Bridging the gap between gender-based violence services and communities in Papua New Guinea

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WESTERN HIGHLANDS, Papua New Guinea - “I was brought up in a community, in a family, where my father used to beat up my mother,” shares Western Highlands’ Robin Y

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https://spotlightinitiative.org/es/node/45217
Los inspectores laborales de Malasia aumentan la capacidad para promover los derechos de los trabajadores en el sector del aceite de palma en Indonesia y Malasia

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Malaysian labour inspectors increase capacity to advance workers’ rights in palm oil sector in Indonesia and Malaysia

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SABAH, Malaysia - Sabah labour inspectors have been trained on forced labour, child labour and gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace, focusing on the palm oil secto

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https://spotlightinitiative.org/es/node/45298
Capacitar a las trabajadoras migrantes para trabajos futuros

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CEBU CITY, Philippines - Evelyn Caballero was a migrant domestic worker for more than 30 years. She worked as a nanny in Hong Kong, Singapore and Abu Dhabi for almost half of her life, leaving her own family behind.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Evelyn lost her job and returned to the Philippines. She was among the first group of returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW). At 49 years old, Evelyn was worried about whether she could still find a job. However, she saw it as a chance to be with her family as well.

"I wanted to spend time with my family because they have grown up without me. Before I got married, I was already an OFW. It was very hard because I cannot attend to the needs of my own children. Zoom and Skype can help, but not completely, because they can only see me, and not really feel my presence," cried Evelyn.

Evelyn has two children. When her youngest was only three, she left him to work abroad again. Now, her oldest is 18 and in senior high school, and her youngest is 16. She hopes that her family, especially her sons, will have a better future. Even though she has been an OFW for nearly half of her life, she has no social protection benefits such as a pension, so she cannot afford to be unemployed.

While browsing Facebook, Evelyn discovered the #WomenCanDoIT scholarships of the International Labour Organization (ILO) for OFWs and their families. The ILO Women in STEM and the Safe and Fair Programme, under the Spotlight Initiative, have joined forces.

Together, they partnered with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to offer scholarships for migrant workers and their families.

Some OFWs when they return from abroad, they do not have the skills. Unique about this one is because it focuses on women, and they are significant in our society.

"Some OFWs, when they return from abroad, do not have the skills [to do different work]. This project is unique because it focuses on women, and they are significant in our society. They can earn certificates from the training, and when they are empowered, they can achieve big results. The partnership with the ILO is commendable, and we have series of graduates already," said Engineer Gamaliel Vicente, Jr., the Regional Director of TESDA for Region 7.

The scholarships offered to OFW women in Cebu included training in call centre services, creative web design, and bread and pastry production. It aims to provide them with important soft skills and technical skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to increase their employability.

Through the scholarships programme, OFW women will also be empowered with authoritative information and integrated support services on fair labour migration, and risks of trafficking, exploitation, violence and abuse, including through the use of innovative technology.

"Technological advances will significantly change the future of work. Women are more likely to lose their jobs, which creates inequality and leaves them behind. Developing their skills is crucial to address the gaps, make them more employable, and give them access to decent work. This is also true for our returning OFWs, helping them acquire these skills will improve their job prospects," said Director Khalid Hassan of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines.

In Cebu City, the ILO, OWWA and TESDA partnered with the Call Center Academy to upskill and empower women OFWs through digital skills, thereby expanding their employment options.

Evelyn remembered how much she struggled at first. She was not particularly computer-savvy and thought that there was no space for her to find a decent job in her own country. She felt that working as a nanny is very different from working in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry.

"I am not a college graduate and I have no experience in banking," she shared. "I lost confidence due to my age, but this call centre training helped me regain it. We have this mock call. After the assessment, I was awarded a silver badge... I was hired before our training ended," Evelyn shared.

Evelyn said the scholarship was life-changing. She no longer feels the need to leave the Philippines to fidn work and encourages other OFWs to enrol in the training.

"I would really prefer to work here because of the benefits, like social security that I did not have before. The work requires not just talking but analyzing, the training really helped me learn and gain these skills. Now I can stay here in my country and be with my family," said Evelyn. "I feel like I am really a mother to my children now."

Written by Minette Rimando

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Upskilling women migrant workers for the future of work

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CEBU CITY, Philippines - Evelyn Caballero was a migrant domestic worker for more than 30 years. She worked as a nanny in Hong Kong, Singapore and Abu Dhabi for almost half of her life, leaving her own family behind. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Evelyn lost her job and returned to the Philippines.

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Comisión Europea - DG Desarrollo y Cooperación, Rue de la Loi, Bruselas, Bélgica

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Comisión Europea - DG Desarrollo y Cooperación, Rue de la Loi, Bruselas, Bélgica

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Comisión Europea - DG Desarrollo y Cooperación, Rue de la Loi, Bruselas, Bélgica

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La Iniciativa Spotlight para eliminar la violencia contra las mujeres y las niñas es una iniciativa mundial de las Naciones Unidas apoyada por la Unión Europea y otros socios.

Es el mayor esfuerzo en el mundo destinado a poner fin a todas las formas de violencia contra las mujeres y las niñas.

Se inició con un compromiso de financiación inicial de EUR 500 millones procedentes de la Unión Europea, representa un esfuerzo mundial sin precedentes para invertir en la igualdad de género y el empoderamiento de las mujeres como una condición e impulso para el logro de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible.

La Iniciativa Spotlight responde a todas las formas de violencia contra las mujeres y las niñas, con especial atención en la violencia doméstica y familiar, la violencia y las prácticas perjudiciales sexuales y basadas en el género, el femicidio, la trata de seres humanos y la explotación sexual y económica (de mano de obra).

Como fondo de demostración para la acción en torno a los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible, están demostrando que una inversión significativa, concertada y amplia en igualdad entre los géneros y eliminación de la violencia puede marcar una diferencia en la transformación de las vidas de las mujeres y las niñas.

Las intervenciones se centran en seis pilares de programación que se refuerzan entre sí. Para conocerlos pincha en el enlace que se proporciona.

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La Iniciativa Spotlight responde a todas las formas de violencia contra las mujeres y las niñas, con especial atención en la violencia doméstica y familiar, la violencia y las prácticas perjudiciales sexuales y basadas en el género, el femicidio, la trata de seres humanos y la explotación sexual y económica (de mano de obra).

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Spotlight Initiative respalda la acción global para poner fin a la violencia contra las mujeres y las niñas en medio de la crisis de COVID-19

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New York, USA - Reports from countries in every region suggest that restrictions in movement, social isolation, and mounting social and economic pressures are leading to increased violence in the home.

Below, UN Deputy Secretary-General and the Chair of Spotlight Initiative, Amina J. Mohammed, discusses the issue, what is being done, and what governments, the UN, and others can do to prevent and address this abuse.

How serious is violence against women and girls right now?
Before this pandemic broke out, statistics showed that one in three women will experience violence in their lives. In Papua New Guinea, where I commemorated International Women's Day last month, the rate is even higher, at two in three.

My concern today is for all women across the world who are suffering even more now due to the extra economic and social stresses caused by a radical shift away from normal life. This stress is leading to an increased danger of violence. It's clear that when women and girls are 'locked down' in their homes with abusive partners, they are at much greater risk than ever before.

This upsurge in violence is not limited to one country or one region. Media reports are documenting an increase in violence across the globe - from Argentina, to China, Germany, Turkey, Honduras, South Africa the United Kingdom and the United States, to name just a few. In Malaysia calls have doubled and in France they are up 32 per cent. In Lebanon calls to the helpline were double in March of this year as they were in the same month last year.

And the worry is that these figures only reflect reporting. Domestic violence is typically grossly under-reported. In the case of restricted movement and limited privacy, women are finding it difficult to phone for help. So, the likelihood is that even these figures represent only a fraction of the problem. They are also reflective of countries that have reporting systems in place. The availability of data is not the same everywhere, particularly in developing countries.

"It's clear that when women and girls are 'locked down' in their homes with abusive partners, they are at much greater risk than ever before." - UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed

How complex is the situation?
We are seeing not just a huge increase in the number of women and girls being abused but also a greater complexity to the violence being perpetrated. Women who are suspected, however erroneously, of exposure to the coronavirus, are faced with being thrown out onto the street in the midst of lockdown. Abusers are taking advantage of isolation measures knowing that women are unable to call for help or escape.

All of this is happening against a backdrop of health and social services that are overwhelmed, under-resourced, and have shifted to manage the implications of the virus. Civil society organizations which may have previously helped victims of violence are unable to operate. And the domestic violence shelters that have been able to remain open are often full; shelter managers are not equipped and scared to take in new victims because of the virus.

What is being done?
All actors have a responsibility to act, from individuals to governments, from the UN to business and civil society. Addressing gender-based violence must be at the center of all domestic plans on COVID-19 response.
There are innovative actions being taken that should be both commended and replicated. In Argentina, for example, pharmacies have been declared safe spaces for victims of abuse to report. Similarly, in France, where grocery stores are housing pop-up-services and 20,000 hotel room nights have been made available to those women who cannot go home.

The Spanish government has told women that they are exempt from the lockdown if they need to leave the home because of abuse and both Canada and Australia have integrated funding for violence against women as part of their national plans to counter the damaging fall-out from COVID-19.

"Addressing gender-based violence must be at the center of all domestic plans on COVID-19 response." - UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed

What other actions should be taken?
National governments in all countries should dedicate funding in national COVID-19 response plans for domestic violence shelters, increased support to call-in lines, including text services so reports of abuse can take place discreetly, online legal support and psychosocial services for women and girls. These are services which are run, in many cases, by civil society organizations, which now also need financial support. Shelters should be designated as essential services and kept open, which may mean providing childcare to staff so they can work. It's crucial that these services are accessible, so they should be integrated into other essential service spaces, like grocery stores and pharmacies.

What is the United Nations doing?
Where the UN is providing humanitarian support, which includes some of the poorest and most unstable parts of the world, it is prioritizing protection services for women. It is advocating with governments for the measures mentioned above to be integrated into all national response plans. Lastly, the UN is building on the Spotlight Initiative, a large-scale partnership with the European Union to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.

Through the Spotlight Initiative, UN Country Teams, hand in hand with relevant partners, are shifting programming to the current context: moving services and campaigns online, scaling up support to civil society organizations on the front line of response, ensuring that domestic violence shelters can stay open, and developing online and text based peer support and chat programmes. The Initiative is also aiming to increase core support to women's organizations providing services and who are at risk with the shift in funding priorities.

In this unprecedented and unpredictable global crisis, the United Nations remains committed to protecting and supporting women, wherever they are in the world.

Story originally published on UN News. Photo: Christophe Verhellen/UNRIC.

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Spotlight Initiative backs global action to end violence against women and girls amid COVID-19 crisis

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New York, USA - Reports from countries in every region suggest that restrictions in movement, social isolation, and mounting social and economic pressures are leading to increased violence in the home. Below, UN Deputy Secretary-General and the Chair of Spotlight Initiative, Amina J.

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“The GBV Task Force ha cambiado mi vida”: fortalecimiento de los servicios para sobrevivientes de violencia en Tailandia.

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TAK, Thailand - Nureen* is a Mon woman who migrated from Myanmar to Thailand 10 years ago for work. When she arrived, she married a man who became abusive and was frequently in and out of hospital as a result of his violence. After they separated, she tried many different ways to protect herself - from filing police reports to seeking help from community leaders - but nothing she tried stopped the violence.

Earlier this year, however, something changed. She was again admitted to Mae Sot Hospital in Tak Province to receive medical treatment for injuries caused by her ex-husband, but this time she was referred to the Spotlight Initiative-supported Gender-based Violence (GBV) Task Force. Once she had recovered physically, the Task Force connected her to other essential services such as psychosocial counselling and legal assistance.

A network of care

Established in 2021, the GBV Task Force has been assisting survivors of violence, including women migrants, with psychosocial and legal assistance, shelter and medical services. Over the past year, more than 150 women migrant workers have been provided with counselling services and referred to other essential services in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Mae Sot. The Task Force helped Nureen get a court protection order for herself and her children and, along with legal aid, they provided psychosocial support to Nureen and her kids.

"The work of GBV Task Force has changed my life a lot as I feel safer and dare to go to work, to pick up children from school and am not afraid of being harassed by my ex-husband," says Nureen.
"I am now an entrepreneur of a small online fabric business," she adds.

The GBV Task Force plays an essential role in the western and northern regions of Thailand, which host large populations of migrants. Along with direct service provisions for survivors, the Task Force has reached more than 11,000 women migrants with information on safe migration and violence against women.

"I would like to send my heartfelt support to all women who experience violence to be strong and to tell them not to be afraid or lose hope," says Nureen. "Every woman can be empowered. Women and men, regardless of their gender, have equal potential and are entitled to the same rights. As a single mother of five children who came out of a violent relationship, I would like to reaffirm that women are strong, self-reliant and able to raise children by themselves. I am stronger today than yesterday. My children are happier than ever before."
The GBV Task Forces in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Mae Sot were established as part of the Safe and Fair Programme: Realizing women migrant workers' rights and opportunities in the ASEAN region (2018-2023). Safe and Fair is part of the multi-year Spotlight Initiative to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls, a UN initiative which has received generous support from the European Union. In ASEAN, the initiative is implemented by ILO and UN Women in collaboration with UNODC. It delivers technical assistance and support with the overall objective of making labour migration safe and fair for all women in the ASEAN region.
Written by Pichit Phromkade
Contributed by Kohnwilai Teppunkoonngam

*Name changed to protect privacy.

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"The GBV Task Force has changed my life" - strengthening services for survivors of violence in Thailand

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TAK, Thailand - Nureen* is a Mon woman who migrated from Myanmar to Thailand 10 years ago for work. When she arrived, she married a man who became abusive and was frequently in and out of hospital as a result of his violence.

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Documental "No dejar a nadie atrás": llevar servicios de salud y atención a comunidades aisladas en Mozambique

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In Mozambique, with the support of the Spotlight Initiative, thousands of women and girls now have access to Mobile Clinics and Care Centres with integrated services (health, justice, social services, among others) available for survivors of gender-based violence. This multisectoral response is also reaching women living in the most isolated parts of the country. These efforts seek to ensure that no woman is left behind.

In "Leave No One Behind", a two-part documentary, we learn about the impact that services provided by Care Centers and Mobile Clinics have on the health and lives of Mozambican women and girls, through the voice of those who provide and receive these services.

PART 1 - RESCUE: The mobile clinics reaching Mozambique's most isolated survivors of gender-based violence. In "Rescue", hit the road with the dedicated women and men who travel the country providing life-giving care.

PART 2 - SURVIVE: Breaking the cycle of violence against women and girls in Mozambique. In "Survive", listen to Josefina and Ivone's stories, two of the thousands of women living in remote parts of Mozambique who received life-saving care from Spotlight Initiative.
The Spotlight Initiative is a global initiative of the United Nations which has received generous support from the European Union. In Mozambique, the Initiative is led by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Action (MGCAS) and implemented in partnership with the United Nations and some 20 Civil Society Organizations. Government institutions in the social welfare, health, justice and police sectors are the Spotlight Initiative backbone. Together, these institutions guarantee access to improved GBV response, counselling and sexual and reproductive rights services to over one million women.

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"Leave No One Behind" documentary: taking health and care services to isolated communities in Mozambique

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In Mozambique, with the support of the Spotlight Initiative, thousands of women and girls now have access to Mobile Clinics and Care Centres with integrated services (health, justice, social services, among others) available for survivors of gender-based violence. This multisectoral response is also reaching women living in the most isolated parts of the country.

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Hogares para familias encabezadas por mujeres y refugiados marfileños vulnerables en Liberia.

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BAHN, Liberia - Princess Kouadio was 20 when she fled her home in Zouan-Hounien, La Cote D'Ivoire, in October 2011, along with her two children. She was among 27,000 Ivoirians who fled to Liberia between 2002 and 2011 because of political instability and civil war.

But as often the case in conflicts and disasters, women and girls - already burdened by a wide range of discrimination - face heightened vulnerability. Insecurity and displacement fuel increased sexual and gender-based violence, as well as other crimes and human rights violations such as trafficking, early and forced marriages, or denial of access to sexual and reproductive health services.

"This house provides my family and me the much-needed starting point as I strive to help my children to become the best they can be in their new-found home." - Princess, former refugee

Such is the story of Princess. "I fled to Liberia with my two children. I was16 when I had my first child in August 2007. My parents got angry with me and ordered me to live with my partner. Two years later, I became pregnant again with the second child, and my partner decided to leave me for another woman. So fleeing La Cote D'Ivoire for Liberia seemed to have been a relief for my partner as he has never once contacted the children and me," Princess says.

Princess' vulnerability as a young, single mother was preyed upon at the refugee camp in Liberia by a man with whom she later had two children. Eventually, he also left her.

"I have since forgotten these two men took advantage of me," says Princess. "I see my four children as gifts from God. I am more concerned about how I cater to them. Thankfully, they are all doing well in school.

According to the Liberia Refugees Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), by July 2022, Liberia and UNHCR have repatriated more than 30 thousand Ivoirian refugees back to their country. They are also helping 597 who have opted for Liberian citizenship with their legal documentation.

Princess fled civil war in 2011. Photo: UNFPA Liberia/Calixte Hessou

Ensuring the safety and protection of vulnerable women
Princess is among women-headed households and vulnerable community members who recently benefited from 15 durable shelters at the Bahn Settlement, formerly the Bahn Refugee Camp in Bahn, Nimba County.

She praised partners, including the Spotlight Initiative, for providing former Ivoirian refugees who have decided to integrate into Liberia with the opportunity to start a new life. "This house provides my family and me the much-needed starting point as I strive to help my children to become the best they can be in their new-found home [Liberia]," says Princess.

Over 100 shelters have been constructed for former Ivoirian refugees and host communities in Nimba County by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). Twenty-five of them have been funded by Spotlight Initiative.
The global Spotlight Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls is a United Nations initiative supported by the European Union and other partners. In Liberia, it was launched in June 2019 by the Government, the European Union, Civil Society Organizations, and the United Nations. Originally published by UNFPA.

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Homes for women-headed households and vulnerable Ivoirian refugees in Liberia

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BAHN, Liberia - Princess Kouadio was 20 when she fled her home in Zouan-Hounien, La Cote D'Ivoire, in October 2011, along with her two children. She was among 27,000 Ivoirians who fled to Liberia between 2002 and 2011 because of political instability and civil war.

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Cómo las trabajadoras migrantes en Vietnam se ayudan mutuamente a mantenerse seguras en el extranjero.

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HA TINH, Viet Nam - Thi Nguyen said she sensed something was wrong when the taxi driver in Bangkok, after realizing she was a migrant worker from Viet Nam, took what he said was "a new road" to her destination. She tried to stay calm.

"When he reached the edge of a forest, he locked all the doors and went out for a call, perhaps looking for smugglers." - Thi Nguyen, migrant worker

"When he reached the edge of a forest, he locked all the doors and went out for a call, perhaps looking for smugglers," she said. "As soon as he got back into the taxi, I told him, using my fluent Thai speaking skills, that I had just called my cousin, who would report the incident to the local police if he did not drive me back.

"I was lucky. He finally got scared so I could come home," Thi recalled.

Thi said that after that experience five years ago, she always took photos of the plates and sent them to friends before stepping into any car.

She shared her experience at a training for about 60 women who had worked abroad and returned to Thach Ha and Hong Linh communes of Ha Tinh city in Northern-Central Viet Nam. The rate of overseas migration from this area is very high. The women had worked in Asia and Europe and returned home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but wished to go back abroad.

Migrant worker Thi Nguyen recounts her narrow escape from danger in Thailand. Photo: UN Women/Thao Hoang

Migrant workers attending the UN-supported workshop in Ha Tinh, Viet Nam, on 23 April 2021 show their hopes for future journeys abroad. The sign at the left foreground says, "No violence-No valuing men above women". Photo: UN Women/Thao Hoang

The Institute for Social Development Studies, a civil society organization led by gender expert Khuat Thu Hong, facilitated the 21-25 April training as part of the Safe and Fair Programme. The programme is run jointly by International Labour Organization and UN Women under the Spotlight Initiative and helps protect South-East Asia's migrant workers from violence and abuse.

"Sometimes, I still dream of hearing the foreman shouting in the textile factory." - Cam Nguyen, 38

According to International Labour Organization, about 400,000 Vietnamese are now working in over 40 countries and territories. The number of women among the migrants increased from 10 per cent in 2000 to nearly 40 per cent in 2017, the Government of Viet Nam says.

Both documented or undocumented workers face risks of violence and abuse from recruiters, employers, and others. Those who lack documents or do domestic labour are particularly vulnerable.

"Migration presents opportunities not only for the migrants, but also for the countries of origin, transit and destination. However, there is work to be done to ensure that labour migration is safe, particularly for women," said Elisa Fernandez Saenz, UN Women Representative in Viet Nam.

Through capacity building and knowledge exchange interventions of the Safe and Fair Programme, women migrant workers learned about gender equality, types of violence against women, and ways to access information and quality support services in both the origin and destination countries. They also formed online and offline groups to continue exchanging information on these and other migrant worker topics via social media. They have become more confident to share what they learned with others who plan to migrate abroad to reduce risks throughout their migration pathway.

Migrant workers attending the UN-supported workshop in Ha Tinh, Viet Nam. The sign in left foreground says, "No violence-No valuing men above women". Photo: UN Women/Thao Hoang

Thi, who was working in a restaurant, returned from Thailand last year with her two children. Her husband is still working there, and she plans to go back.

However, Cam Nguyen, 38, has no wish to go back abroad. She said she had worked 10-12 hours a day, every day and without holidays or vacation, at a textile factory in Taiwan and was paid only a third of the contracted salary.

"After 18 months, I lost 11 kilos," she said at the workshop. "My family's loan had been paid several years ago. I want to stay home to take care of my children. Sometimes, I still dream of hearing the foreman shouting in the textile factory," Cam said.

Cam says she is happy in Viet Nam; however, she wants to help others prepare for better experiences abroad and how to stay safe. She is a leader of the exchange-information group in Hong Linh's commune, which started with 20 core members in July 2020 and has doubled in size.

By Thao Hoang. Originally published by UN Women.

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How women migrant workers in Viet Nam are helping each other stay safe abroad

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HA TINH, Viet Nam - Thi Nguyen said she sensed something was wrong when the taxi driver in Bangkok, after realizing she was a migrant worker from Viet Nam, took what he said was "a new road" to her destination. She tried to stay calm.

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En Tayikistán, apoyo a los niños con discapacidad para que permanezcan en la escuela.

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HISSOR, Tajikistan - Mohtobkhon, 16, is joyfully doing her homework. She is excited about the new school day and dreams of becoming a doctor, but this hasn't always been the case.

Mohtobkhon was diagnosed with osteoporosis at an early age. The condition, which causes a weakening of bones, prevented her from attending school or leaving the house as she feared being mocked by the other children.

"My school has changed not only into a place where I can study, but it also makes me feel comfortable." - Mohtobkhon, 16

A combination of social stigma, insufficient facilities and poverty can all prevent children with disabilities from socializing, studying and integrating into their community. Additionally, when parents discover their child has a disability, they may become overwhelmed or fearful.

Globally, around one-third of young children and teenagers with disabilities face emotional and physical abuse, while 20 per cent experience neglect and 10 per cent suffer sexual violence. This increased vulnerability is due to a variety of factors, including social exclusion, communication barriers and insufficient information and support.

Ensuring that children and teenagers with disabilities are able to exercise their rights - including their right to an education - is essential in combating this vulnerability.

Mohtobkhon (right) is visited at school by her father and brother. Photo:Sadulloev Yusufjon/Good Neighbors Tajikistan

Opportunity to dream
Over the past two years, the Spotlight Initiative in Tajikistan has aimed to create inclusive school environments by introducing student councils in 45 schools across target cities and districts. More than 1,000 students have joined these councils and each of them is trained in gender-based violence prevention, including the rights of people with disabilities. The Initiative has successfully implemented complaint mechanisms in schools to respond to and refer cases of violence among students. Combined with positive behaviour training for teachers, this has fostered respectful relationships among children.

Following Spotlight Initiative support to Mohtobkhon's school, teachers, staff, classmates, friends and parents are now working hand-in-hand with the student council to ensure that Mohtobkhon gets the education she deserves. They help her to move around the school to classes and offer social support. Now that she is no longer afraid of being bullied, school has become one of her favourite places.

"My school has changed not only into a place where I can study, but it also makes me feel comfortable. I don't notice how [long the day is as] time goes by quickly," says Mohtobkhon.

"Mohtobkhon and I have been very lucky," adds her mother, Abdurahimova Dilafruz. "We have been given hope for the future. Our Mohtobkhon now believes that life is beautiful."
Mentors: a source of light
At each target school, a mentor is selected and trained to oversee programming. At Mohtobkhon's school, Hiassar school no. 59, that mentor is her teacher Davlatov Boymuhammad. Mr. Davlatov believes that school is critical for developing social and communication skills - things children may miss out on if they are homeschooled.

"Homeschooling usually starts in the afternoon, and teachers are exhausted by that time," he says. "Sometimes the teacher fails to come [to the student's house] because of competing administrative work."

However, he understands why some families choose this route.

"[Many] children with disabilities can't just be taken to school [and left there]," he explains - many schools in Tajikistan do not have accessible infrastructure, especially those outside major cities. "Students have to be escorted between the classrooms and to the toilet, and have their physical condition monitored," he says. "Many people opt for homeschooling because of these circumstances... Unfortunately, not every parent can handle [the demands of keeping their child in school]."

"We have been given hope for the future. Our Mohtobkhon now believes that life is beautiful." - Mohtobkhon's mother, Abdurahimova Dilafruz

Leaving no one behind
Mr. Davlatov was critical in persuading Mohtobkhon's parents to support her return to school.

"When Mohtobkhon was homeschooled, she missed her teachers and her classmates," he says. "But most of all, she missed being able to interact with her peers and be part of a team."

Today, Mohtobkhon attends school every day and is working towards her dream.

"I enjoy being around friends who are always supportive and helpful," she says. "I hope to become a doctor and be able to care for other people the way they care for me."

By Farangis Umedzoda

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In Tajikistan, supporting children with disabilities to stay in school

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HISSOR, Tajikistan - Mohtobkhon, 16, is joyfully doing her homework. She is excited about the new school day and dreams of becoming a doctor, but this hasn't always been the case. Mohtobkhon was diagnosed with osteoporosis at an early age.

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Cambodia-Japan Friendship Bridge, Nom Pen, Camboya

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Cambodia-Japan Friendship Bridge, Nom Pen, Camboya

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Cambodia-Japan Friendship Bridge, Nom Pen, Camboya

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Proporcionar a las trabajadoras migrantes información para que puedan tomar decisiones seguras e informadas

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Providing women migrant workers with information to make safe and informed choices

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A large-scale survey of women migrant workers across Southeast Asia, conducted by

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"Todo el mundo decía que no podía ser mecánica, pero yo puedo hacer lo que quiera" - destruyendo los roles de género en Mozambique

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ANGOCHE, Mozambique - Dulce Santos, 18, is a student and the first female mechanic in Angoche, northern Mozambique. Today, with the income from her business, she pays for her studies and supports her family. But until she managed to set up her motorcycle workshop, Dulce faced many limiting beliefs about gender roles.

"Here, they say there are men's and women's professions. And I never wanted any profession that they said were the ´right´ ones for women," Dulce explains. "I always liked motorbikes and wanted to know how to fix them."

"I wanted to prove to all men, but especially women, that we could do what we like". - Dulce Santos, the first female mechanic in Angoche

In Mozambique, the agriculture sector employs 90 per cent of working-age women and girls ( Fórum Mulher, 2019). From an early age, girls are involved in domestic chores and farming the family crops. With the support of Livaningo, one of the Civil Society Organizations partnering with the Spotlight Initiative on economic empowerment interventions and increasing financial literacy, Dulce was able to select a different path. She had access to training in mechanics and the materials she needed to start her business.

"I felt strong, I finally had the opportunity to choose, and get the training and materials I needed to be a mechanic. I wanted to prove to all men, but especially women, that we could do what we like. Everyone said I couldn't be a mechanic, but I can be anything I want," Dulce says proudly.

At first, Dulce didn't have many customers. But as time went by, and with the support of her motorcycle workshop colleagues, her work was recognised. Photo: UNICEF/Lara Longle

In 2021 alone, the Spotlight Initiative partnered with more than 20 civil society organizations to help more than 9,000 girls and women learn new trades and how to run businesses.

Dulce works in the morning in her motorcycle workshop, which she shares with five other colleagues, and studies in the afternoon. Being a woman, she was initially discriminated against in her profession, and only with time and her colleagues' support has she managed to establish her business.

"In the beginning, I had almost no clients. They said they didn't want a woman fixing their bikes, that it wouldn't look good. I decided to be patient. Over time, clients began to arrive, and today it makes no difference to them that I am a woman. They have seen my work and realized that we are just like men: we know how to fix motorbikes," she says.

In her day-to-day work, the two services most requested in the motorcycle workshop are tyre repairs and changing the spark plugs of motorbikes. With the profits from her work, Dulce wants to continue her studies and become a police officer. Photo: UNICEF/Lara Longle

The risk of violence and gender inequality is often associated with economic vulnerability. By accessing training and economic opportunities, women are able to support themselves, study and become financially independent instead of having to rely on their partners. During the past year, awareness-raising sessions on Gender-Based Violence, Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Positive Masculinities, carried out by the Spotlight Initiative partners, have reached over 400,000 girls and boys in Manica, Gaza and Nampula, provinces where the Spotlight Initiative is implemented.

"Because of my business, I can do many things. At home, we are only women, three sisters and my mother. We don't have a father to help. With the income from my work, I can buy my school materials and help my mother with food for the house. Our life has improved a lot," says Dulce.

After finishing her studies, Dulce has another dream to fulfil: becoming a policewoman.

"My job gives me the opportunity to continue studying to become a police officer. I want to be a policewoman. There are already some women in this profession, but they are few. And if someone tells me it's not a suitable profession for me, I'll tell them what happened when the Spotlight Initiative came here and showed me that I could be a mechanic," says Dulce, between laughs
The Spotlight Initiative is a global initiative of the United Nations which has received generous support from the European Union. It aims to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. In Mozambique, the Spotlight Initiative is led by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Action (MGCAS) in partnership with the United Nations and civil society organizations (CSOs).
By Lara Longle

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"Everyone said I couldn't be a mechanic, but I can be whatever I want" - deconstructing gender roles in Mozambique

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ANGOCHE, Mozambique - Dulce Santos, 18, is a student and the first female mechanic in Angoche, northern Mozambique. Today, with the income from her business, she pays for her studies and supports her family. But until she managed to set up her motorcycle workshop, Dulce faced many limiting beliefs about gender roles.

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¿Que llevabas puesto?Exposición de la ONU exige justicia para sobrevivientes de violencia sexual

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NEW YORK, United States - On 11 July, international dignitaries attended the opening of 'What were you wearing?' an art exhibit at United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The exhibit showcases 103 outfits worn by rape survivors at the time they were attacked, representing the 1.3 billion survivors of sexual assault worldwide.

"We can hold light up to this darkest corner of human experience and allow survivors at last to be seen, to be heard, to be believed and to be empowered." - RISE Founder and CEO Amanda Nguyen

A collaboration between RISE and the Spotlight Initiative, the exhibit highlights the pervasiveness of sexual assault by subverting the phrase "what were you wearing" - a question that is too often used to blame survivors for the crime perpetrated against them.

The original exhibit opened in December 2021 and consisted of just five outfits, each representing a different geographical region.

"Today, all five of the survivors have stepped out of anonymity to tell their story to the world at the United Nations," said RISE CEO and Founder Amanda Nguyen in her opening address. "I am one of the five... My story is not mine alone."

"We can hold light up to this darkest corner of human experience and allow survivors at last to be seen, to be heard, to be believed and to be empowered," she said.

"'What were you wearing? Were you drinking, were you dancing, were you smiling too much?' Those were the questions they asked me after spending hours in two hospital waiting rooms," said Jessica Long, an author, business expert and assault survivor whose clothes were featured in the exhibit. "You might think that being assaulted was the worst thing that happened to me that night, but it wasn't. The worst thing that happened to me was being betrayed by the very systems that are meant to support us and protect us... Every year tens of millions of people experience exactly that betrayal."

RISE CEO and Founder Amanda Nguyen gives her opening address.

Britney Lane, a child and adolescent therapist and survivor of assault, echoed the need for better access to services and justice, saying, "I can't change what happened to me that night, but I can work to change the system to ensure that no one is failed again."

Bryan Robles, an Aerospace Engineer with NASA, shared his story for the first time outside his immediate family, telling the audience, "These pieces of clothing represent everyday people just like me... Sexual assault is indiscriminate. It reaches every part of society - whether we're rich, whether we're poor, whether we're in the good neighbourhood or the bad neighbourhood. Sexual assault is an unrelenting predator."

"These pieces of clothing represent everyday people just like me... Sexual assault is indiscriminate. It reaches every part of society." - NASA Aerospace Engineer and assault survivor, Bryan Robles

Fashion designer and survivor Kadijatu Grace shared her own story of being raped while fleeing conflict. She addressed her attacker and expressed defiance, stating, "You thought you broke me, but you gave me a platform. I will never stop singing, I will never stop telling my story."

Samantha McCoy, an attorney and survivor, described being raped by a police officer at the age of 22 and the desperate need for informed, sensitive and effective support to those who experience sexual violence. "I was left with physical injuries but most devastating was the unimaginable mental anguish," she said. "Crucial mistakes were made in the collection of evidence. I was criticized doubted and asked questions that victims of other crimes are not asked such as 'what were you wearing?'"

Guests stand in front of the original five outfits that launched the exhibit. It has since grown to include 103 outfits representing the 1.3 billion sexual assault survivors worldwide.

President of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid said that the exhibition had stopped him in his tracks. "It should be a catalyst to spur conversation about our collective responsibility to eliminate violence against women and girls," he said.

Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and co-chair of the Spotlight Initiative's Governing Body, Amina Mohammed, thanked the survivors for their bravery and called on those gathered in the room to address violence before it begins.

"We need to stop playing the blame game and take action to address the root causes of violence." - Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Amina Mohammed

"We need to stop playing the blame game and take action to address the root causes of violence: gender inequality, patriarchal structures in our societies," she said. "[These clothes] demonstrate more clearly than any legal argument could that women and girls are attacked regardless of what they were wearing," continued Ms. Mohammed. "Indeed, the power of some of these clothes lies in their ordinariness."

Entrepreneur Paris Hilton delivered a video message expressing her support for survivors.

European Union Ambassador to the United Nations Olof Skoog, who also convenes the Group of Friends for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls, expressed admiration for the speakers. "We see you, we hear you, we recognize and acknowledge you," said Mr. Skoog. "We want your help to improve the way we deal with this [issue], including in the way we provide justice."

Ambassador Victoria Sulimani, Deputy Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations, highlighted the fact that sexual violence is a universal issue that demands concerted international recognition. She spoke about the steps that Sierra Leone has taken to increase access to justice after the president declared sexual violence a state of emergency. "Justice delayed is justice denied," she said.

"We see you, we hear you, we recognize and acknowledge you." - European Union Ambassador to the UN Olof Skoog

Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the UN, Takeshi Osuga, said that the exhibition was "heartbreaking" and expressed Japan's commitment to achieving gender equality. "For Japan, gender equality is one of the most important pillars of promoting human security and for us, it consists of two aspects: one is protection and the other is empowerment."

Entrepreneur and activist Paris Hilton shared her own story and expressed solidarity with survivors in a video message.
'What were you wearing?' will be on display at the UN Visitors Centre in New York until 31 August 2022.

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What were you wearing? UN exhibit demands justice for survivors of sexual violence

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NEW YORK, United States - On 11 July, international dignitaries attended the opening of 'What were you wearing?' an art exhibit at United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The exhibit showcases 103 outfits worn by rape survivors at the time they were attacked, representing the 1.3 billion survivors of sexual assault worldwide.

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SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - Dennis Mariona de 26 años de edad es trabajador social de profesión, carismático y comprometido con los cambios sociales para garantizar una vida libre de violencia contra las mujeres y niñas. Para el año 2020 realizó el curso de masculinidades de forma virtual impulsado por la Iniciativa, junto al Fondo de Población de Naciones Unidas. Proyecto en el que aprendió, y así mismo descubrió nuevas posibilidades para desarrollarse personalmente y profesionalmente.

A más de un año de haber finalizado su proceso de capacitación con la Iniciativa, Dennis recuerda su día a día previo a la pandemia de la COVID-19, donde asistía a clases, y al mismo tiempo tenía un trabajo en su campo profesional. Para marzo del año 2020, al mismo tiempo que miles de personas a nivel mundial perdieron sus empleos como consecuencia de las cuarentenas y prohibiciones, él recibió la finalización de su contrato.

Para ese momento destaca que antes de inscribirse al curso de masculinidades "estaba en depresión en pandemia, me había quedado sin trabajo, se me estaban acabando los ahorros y como trabajador social yo me sentía mal. No estaba apoyando a mi familia, no me estaba formando, no estaba creciendo". Reconoce que la salud mental y los estereotipos impuestos por la sociedad machista estaban afectando sus comportamientos y acciones.

Al enterarse sobre la Iniciativa y el curso decidió inscribirse, buscando encontrar claridad en medio de la incertidumbre: "y entonces viene esa luz de Spotlight, creo que algo así sígnica también, y fue. En ese momento pensé: ¡Es cabal lo que necesito! Y me rescató e impulsó a sentirme mejor. Creo que le queda muy bien el nombre". Dennis explica que las reflexiones de cada taller eran importante luego de las prácticas. Ya que en un momento donde no existía certeza, podía pensar en "cual rol tendría él y sus compañeros en la construcción de cultura de paz o la disminución de la violencia hacía la mujer o la disminución de la violencia basada en género", que aumentó durante la pandemia de la COVID en El Salvador.

En su nueva realidad como creador de contenido digital en redes y trabajador social, reconoce que la gratuidad del proceso fue un factor clave para inscribirse: "si hubiera sido un proceso pagado lastimosamente nunca lo hubiera podido realizar".

Las masculinidades son clave para la erradicación de comportamientos y acciones que violenten la vida de las mujeres y niñas. Es por eso que la currícula innovadora de la Iniciativa está desarrolla una visión completa sobre las nuevas masculinidades, generando así durante las sesiones espacios de reflexión colectiva. Al pensar sobre esto, Dennis enfatiza que "como hombres nos violentamos entre nosotros y se nos violenta desde las niñez. Al mismo tiempo reproducimos estos aprendizajes con otras mujeres, con niñas y con otros hombres", romper estos círculos de violencia es lo que motiva a Dennis a continuar con su trabajo diario como formador y facilitador de proceso de nuevas masculinidades.

Dennis comparte las reflexiones que lo acompañan día a día después de la finalización del curso de la Iniciativa: "He logrado notar en mi persona y en otros hombres que luego de estos procesos logramos dar un paso en la identificación de los comportamientos machistas, al hacerlo los dejamos de ejercer, por ejemplo: el acoso. Si no teníamos muy claro qué es el acoso, además de identificarlo, dejamos de reproducirlo. Así mismo asumir las tareas del hogar, hacerse responsables y dejar de usar la frase de que yo ayudo en casa; es nuestro deber también. Y por último los hombres se atreven a ser abiertos en sus emociones al entrar en procesos de masculinidades, sin los cuales no lo haríamos, ya nos cuesta bastante. Empezamos definiendo esa red de apoyo masculina que no tenga ningún tipo de relación sexo-afectiva", concluyó Dennis.

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"Mi rol para construir una sociedad libre de violencia"

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SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - Dennis Mariona de 26 años de edad es trabajador social de profesión, carismático y comprometido con los cambios sociales para garantizar una vida libre de violencia contra las mujeres y niñas. Para el año 2020 realizó el curso de masculinidades de forma virtual impulsado por la Iniciativa, junto al Fondo de Población de Naciones Unidas.

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Cambiar las normas sociales para acabar con la violencia contra las mujeres y las niñas en Kirguistán.

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Changing social norms to end violence against women and girls in Kyrgyzstan

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NARYN OBLAST, Kyrgyz Republic - “This is our new family business.

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Cómo la Iniciativa Spotlight está trabajando hacia la Generación Igualdad

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How Spotlight Initiative is working toward Generation Equality

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NEW YORK, United States - The Generation Equality Forum, a civil soc

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En Trinidad y Tobago, ayudar a los niños a comprender y ejercer sus derechos

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Trinidad and Tobago - Nadella Oya is the founder of Createfuturegood, a Spotlight Initiative grantee that works with children from preschool to 18 years of age to help them better understand their rights. By engaging children and their families through workshops, creativity-based activities and digital media and campaigns, Createfuturegood aims to eliminate all forms of violence. They also work to help young people aged 18 to 29 as they navigate the transition into adulthood. Below, Ms. Oya shares more about her work.

It became overwhelming, hurtful, impossible to ignore. We kept asking the ubiquitous question, "What can we do?" - Nadella Oya, founder

How did Createfuturegood begin?
Over the years in my work, I had always unconsciously given a platform for children to tell their stories. There was a period in which the news was constantly flooded with stories of children being sexually assaulted and murdered. My friends and I would talk about it. It became overwhelming, hurtful, impossible to ignore. We kept asking the ubiquitous question, "What can we do?"

We engaged children to help figure out the best way to help other children, and to create ways to make their future lives and families better. That first group of friends had more friends who helped, guided and turned up. Now we have committed people all over the world who band together to help children enjoy their childhood and improve their wellbeing.
Nadella Oya explains how small grants will help Createfuturegood have an even bigger impact.

What are some of the strategies that you use to help children and families to understand their rights?

By equipping children with skills and giving them the opportunity to communicate positive (and often difficult) messages to their peers, we have built an organization that utilizes creativity-based interventions across traditional and online media to promote child rights for all children. Our messages are amplified through a range of activities including media-based campaigns, art-based workshops and murals. We also run child protection workshops with children, parents, teachers, and service providers working with children and adolescents.

"Seeing children and teens develop personally through the work they do with us is the best feeling ever." - Nadella Oya

What are some of the difficult issues that you talk about with children and parents?
Child sexual abuse, incest, countering violent extremism, violence against women and girls, mental health, xenophobia and bullying.

Why is this work so important?

As expressed by Nelson Mandela, "there can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." All children deserve to grow up in safe, nurturing environments. We have a non-negotiable obligation to ensure that all children are aware of and enjoy all their rights. Without knowledge of their universal rights, there is an increased likelihood that such rights will be violated.

In Trinidad and Tobago and across the Caribbean, child rights violations such as child neglect, abandonment and sexual abuse represent a pervasive and systemic problem. The COVID-19 pandemic has further aggravated this situation.

"Children around the Caribbean have used the information they learned in our campaigns to protect themselves." - Nadella Oya

What is one of your proudest achievements?

Our biggest achievement is our Youth Team. Seeing children and teens develop personally through the work they do with us is the best feeling ever.

Our other major achievement is the impact of our work. Over the years, children around the Caribbean have used the information they learned in our campaigns to protect themselves and each other from hurt and abuse. That is our purpose. And we will continue doing this for as long as it takes to help children enjoy their rights.

Since 2006, our creative workshops have reached a combined total of 4,000 children and youth across the Caribbean. Additionally, our digital videos have received over 500,000 views on social media.

What kind of change do you see in the children and families that you engage?

Many children - and even adults - experience changes in basic assumptions about their rights and responsibilities. It is quite common to see expressions of joy as participants embrace new knowledge and skills. Some participants have shared that these sessions were the first time they had the opportunity to share their experiences, and for children these moments represent the first time they could honestly and openly share with adults.

We sometimes see intergenerational changes as children, parents and other members of the family commit to living the values which our messages promote. Some of the children we worked with grow up to stand for child rights and take action, either as a member of Create Future Good or within other spaces.

Interview has been edited for clarity and length.

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In Trinidad and Tobago, helping children to understand and exercise their rights

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Trinidad and Tobago - Nadella Oya is the founder of Createfuturegood, a Spotlight Initiative grantee that works with children from preschool to 18 years of age to help them better understand their rights. By engaging children and their families through workshops, creativity-based activities and digital media and campaigns, Createfuturegood aims to eliminate all forms of violence.

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Acciones en calle para mejorar la vida de mujeres y niñas en Cd. Juárez

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CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Mexico - La dignificación de espacios públicos con participación ciudadana a partir del fortalecimiento e impulso de liderazgos de mujeres y niñas permite crear las condiciones materiales necesarias para el ejercicio del derecho al espacio público y la erradicación de los patrones socioculturales que normalizan la violencia de género.

Bajo esta premisa y con el compromiso de poner un alto a la violencia contra las habitantes de Ciudad Juárez, la Iniciativa Spotlight en México, con el acompañamiento del Instituto Municipal de las Mujeres, el DIF Municipal y la Secretaría de Seguridad Pública del H. Ayuntamiento de Juárez, puso en marcha un plan de acción para la consolidación de un espacio seguro para mujeres y niñas.

Para ello se realizó un ejercicio de análisis geoespacial para determinar los polígonos de intervención prioritaria en función del grado de vulnerabilidad frente a la violencia contra mujeres y niñas. En este ejercicio, se seleccionó a la Colonia Senderos de San Isidro como un entorno prioritario para la mejora del espacio físico y la integración comunitaria.

De este modo, del 21 de febrero al 21 de marzo de 2021, las y los residentes de Senderos de San Isidro compartieron sus experiencias en 4 asambleas participativas, 2 talleres de sensibilización en torno a la violencia de género, 23 entrevistas semiestructuradas y 3 marchas exploratorias para la construcción de cartografía social.

"Aquí una mujer ya no se sentía segura y, ahorita, sí. Con la iluminación que pusimos ya nos sentimos seguras" - Betzaida Acosta, vecina

Gracias a ello se identificaron necesidades de mujeres y niñas en materia de seguridad pública, así como el reconocimiento de identidades, resistencias y liderazgos frente a la violencia de género.

A partir de este trabajo, la intervención física se concentró en el establecimiento de un sendero seguro para conectar el parque público ubicado en la esquina de las calles Sendero de Aravaca y Fundadores de América, con la Escuela Primaria Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, que beneficia a las infancias de este sector del municipio juarense. El recorrido seleccionado también comunica con puntos nodales de ascenso y descenso del transporte de personal, lo que favorece la seguridad en los desplazamientos hogar-trabajo.

A lo largo de la ruta y con la finalidad de fomentar el compromiso de las y los habitantes con el mantenimiento de la seguridad y la construcción de redes comunitarias de apoyo, se instalaron 40 reflectores automatizados con fotoceldas de detección de luz solar en las viviendas que colindan con el sendero seguro. "Aquí una mujer ya no se sentía segura y, ahorita, sí. Con la iluminación que pusimos ya nos sentimos seguras", comentó Betzaida Acosta, vecina de la Colonia Senderos de San Isidro.

Instalación de iluminación en viviendas que forman parte del sendero seguro en Senderos de San Isidro.
FOTO: Ricardo Ramsés Sánchez Rey/Iniciativa Spotlight México

El sendero seguro fue complementado con acciones de urbanismo táctico para la delimitación de cruces peatonales, rehabilitación de señalamientos de tránsito, el marcaje de guarniciones e infraestructura para acceso de personas con discapacidad motriz. Para ello, se contó con la colaboración de personal de la Coordinación General de Seguridad Vial, instancia adscrita a la Dirección General de Tránsito Municipal.

Acciones para marcaje de pasos peatonales, guarniciones y acceso de personas con discapacidad.
FOTO: Ricardo Ramsés Sánchez Rey/Iniciativa Spotlight México

La intervención en el parque, que ocupa un área de 6,000 m2, despertó el interés y organizó los esfuerzos de mujeres, hombres, adolescentes, infancias y hasta comerciantes y tianguistas que viven y trabajan en Senderos de San Isidro, así como de residentes de colonias aledañas.

Antes y después de la instalación de luminarias urbanas en el ahora llamado Parque Daisy.
FOTO: Ricardo Ramsés Sánchez Rey/Iniciativa Spotlight México

Así, con la participación de 90 personas de la comunidad, la Iniciativa Spotlight instaló 10 luminarias con tecnología solar sustentable; realizó acciones de limpieza y reciclaje, y rehabilitación y mantenimiento de los juegos infantiles y el mobiliario urbano disponible. "Anteriormente el parque estaba muy deteriorado, estaba olvidado, muy oscuro e inseguro... con la iluminación va a ser más seguro para todos", comentó un usuario.

"(La Iniciativa Spotlight) ha servido mucho. En poquitos días han venido a cambiar totalmente la perspectiva como vecinos. Ha habido un cambio no nada más como personas, también culturalmente" - Leticia Herrera, vecina

La Sra. Leticia Herrera, vecina del parque, comentó que "(la Iniciativa Spotlight) ha servido mucho. En poquitos días han venido a cambiar totalmente la perspectiva como vecinos. Ha habido un cambio no nada más como personas, también culturalmente (...) Agradezco a la ONU esta participación. Las mujeres necesitamos mucho apoyo, pero cuando las mujeres nos unimos sabemos que podemos porque hay potencial".
Daisy, una inspiración
El proyecto de San Isidro concluyó con la inauguración de un mural de 80 m2 elaborado por un equipo de artistas juarenses, liderados por Ana Laura Meneses González. En él, se refleja la identidad migrante y trabajadora de las mujeres juarenses y se rescata la experiencia de vida de Daisy, una niña de 10 años de la colonia que contribuyó en el proyecto. Por acuerdo vecinal, el parque Senderos de San Isidro ahora se llama Parque Daisy.

"¡También los niños tienen que cuidar este parque!", Daisy Paloma, 10 años

Las acciones realizadas permitirán beneficiar a una población de 7,145 habitantes y 2,134 hogares, de los cuales, el 49%, son mujeres y, el 35%, tienen jefatura femenina, respectivamente.

Daisy fue una inspiración para la creación del mural en el parque de Cd. Juárez que ahora lleva su nombre. FOTO: Marina Contreras-Saldaña/Iniciativa Spotlight México

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Acciones en calle para mejorar la vida de mujeres y niñas en Cd. Juárez

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CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Mexico - La dignificación de espacios públicos con participación ciudadana a partir del fortalecimiento e impulso de liderazgos de mujeres y niñas permite crear las condiciones materiales necesarias para el ejercicio del derecho al espacio público y la erradicación de los patrones socioculturales que normalizan la violencia de género.

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La pieza que falta para la sostenibilidad de los movimientos de las mujeres.
https://spotlightinitiative.org/publications/missing-brick-sustaining-womens-movements

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A MISSING BRICK FOR SUSTAINING WOMEN'S MOVEMENTS

Flexible Institutional Funding for Local Women's Organizations

Institutional Funding is essential to local women's organizations' survival and their ability to respond to changing circumstances and contexts, to strengthen their organizational capacity and learning, which ultimately enhances their impact.15 It also "facilitate(s) greater predictability of resources and financial sustainability allowing women's organizations to stay focused on programmatic priorities and plan more effectively," especially when it is flexible and multi-year.16 This is particularly helpful for local organizations working in complex and changing environments, such as conflict and crisis settings.
As women's organizations' work contributes to peace and security in their communities, offering institutional funding means supporting their existence and mission to widen democratic spaces, enhance accountability and protect human rights and peace. As such, institutional funding has to be considered as a grant in support of an organization's mission, focusing on long-term social changes, rather than a specific project. It intentionally delivers resources to feminist groups and movements, allowing them to determine their own needs and recognizing them as the agents and drivers of transformative change.

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A MISSING BRICK FOR SUSTAINING WOMEN'S MOVEMENTS

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A MISSING BRICK FOR SUSTAINING WOMEN'S MOVEMENTS Flexible Institutional Funding for Local Women's Organizations Institutional Funding is essential to local women's organizations' survival and their ability to respond to changing circumstances and contexts, to strengthen their organizational capacity and learning, which ultimately enhances their impact.15 It also "facilitate(s) greater predictability

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Sanar a Haití ante el aumento de la violencia sexual

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Claudine* looks across a sweeping valley high above the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. The lushness of the tropical vegetation, the cool fresh air and the low-hanging clouds are in stark contrast to the dusty, hot and suffocating backstreets of Petionville, lower down the valley, where four years ago she was the victim of sexual abuse which changed her life.

"At the time, I was 16 years old and living with my cousin and her husband," she said. "I looked after their children, like they were my own." Claudine should have been at school but after her mother and grandmother died had no other option but to become a domestic worker in her cousin's house. It was there that she was sexually assaulted by her cousin's husband.

"I didn't know what to do but a friend did report the incident to the police, but nothing was done to find the man."

Claudine is now back in school. Photo: UN Haiti/Daniel Dickinson

A refuge from abuse
A year after her daughter was born, Claudine was taken to a refuge for abused minors, many of whom like her were caring for newborns. The refuge, where she has lived now for three years, is run by Rapha House, an organization which is committed to ending the trafficking and sexual exploitation of children.

Nahomy Augustin is a project coordinator for the international NGO in Haiti. "Many of the young women here are the victims of extreme poverty and insecurity, to the extent that the lack of basic services and opportunities that they have access to means that they become vulnerable to abuse," she said.

The refuge, which is located in an intentionally inconspicuous building, in a tranquil neighbourhood above Port-au-Prince, supports the young women in the recovery from their traumatic experiences. "We take a holistic approach," said Nahomy Augustin, "and provide a range of services, including medical and psychological care, accommodation and legal advice as well as family mediation."

The aim is to help each young woman to return to her family within a year as long as it is safe, but many like Claudine stay longer. The refuge can currently accommodate 24 young women as well as their babies, but a new centre is being built which can provide care to up to 80 people.

The Spotlight Initiative, in partnership with the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, is supporting this and other refuges for women in Haiti.

Personal items are available for purchase at Rapha House. Photo: UN Haiti/Daniel Dickinson

Rape as a weapon
Geraldine Alferis is a gender-based violence expert at UNICEF. "Haiti, and especially the capital Port-au-Prince, is experiencing a surge in gang violence. Thousands of girls and women are being displaced, which makes them very vulnerable to abuse," she said.

In July, the United Nations said that rival gangs in the Cite Soleil neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince were adopting the "systematic use of rape against women and girls as a weapon of war."

"Gang rape is a particularly tragic occurrence and so we work to ensure that the survivors get the help they need," said Geraldine Alferis.

It is estimated that at least 30 per cent of Haitian women between the ages of 15 and 30 years old have been the victims of sexual abuse or violence.

"It is not enough just to receive food and have a bed. You must be given the opportunity to study and make a life for yourself." - Claudine*, survivor of sexual violence

The Spotlight Initiative is working to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, is working to transform the lives of Haitian women for the better. The Spotlight Initiative in Haiti focuses on ending domestic violence, rape, incest, sexual harassment, physical and psychological violence, as well as other restrictions on the freedoms and rights of women and girls. It also aims to provide holistic care to women and girls who are survivors of violence.

On a visit to the refuge, the UN Resident Coordinator in Haiti, Ulrika Richardson, said "it was chilling to hear the stories of these young women and girls," adding that "I also sensed hope and recognized the importance of the services to which they have access."

"I am proud of the Spotlight Initiative and the much-needed assistance it is providing along with our local partners, but what I heard on this visit is a stark reminder of the urgency to tackle the root causes of sexual violence."

At the refuge above Port-au-Prince, the survivors like Claudine are able to study, taking school classes that many missed out on when they were younger. They can also take practical classes to learn skills like sewing or soap-making, which can enable them to make a small amount of money, a first important step towards building their independence.

"Going to school is very important," said Claudine. "If you are working for a family like I did, it is not enough just to receive food and have a bed. You must be given the opportunity to study and make a life for yourself."

By Daniel Dickinson, originally published on UN News.
*Name changed to protect the survivor's privacy.

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Healing Haiti in the face of an increase in sexual violence

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Claudine* looks across a sweeping valley high above the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. The lushness of the tropical vegetation, the cool fresh air and the low-hanging clouds are in stark contrast to the dusty, hot and suffocating backstreets of Petionville, lower down the valley, where four years ago she was the victim of sexual abuse which changed her life.

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Flores en el Aire: mapas para la memoria y reparación de víctimas del femicidio

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Flores en el Aire: mapas para la memoria y reparación de víctimas del femicidio

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QUITO, Ecuador - Desde el 1 de enero hasta el 3 de septiembre se registraron en Ecuador un total de 206 casos de muertes violentas por razones de género, de las cuales 85 son femic

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"Somos más fuertes juntos"- los educadores en Uganda ayudan a las mujeres a ejercer sus derechos.

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Uganda - "My name is Mirembe*. I am 32 and I have three children. I have been a sex worker for 13 years."

Mirembe started sex work when she was working in a bar. Her boss would sometimes take Mirembe's pay, forcing Mirembe to work only for food and accommodation. She didn't have any knowledge of sexual health and sexually transmitted diseases. Condoms were unknown to her, and she got HIV from one of her customers.

Mirembe's story is common. Fifty-six per cent of Ugandan women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence at least once since the age of 15 ( Demographic Health Survey 2016), and sex workers are especially vulnerable to exploitation and violence. Due to negative stereotypes, even getting help from the police can be challenging.

"Before this project, we had no voice and we were taken as mere sex workers... WONETHA has taught us about our rights and how to protect ourselves better." - Mirembe, sex worker

Mirembe recently took part in training with the Women's Organization Network for Human Rights Advocacy (WONETHA), which works with female sex workers to improve their access to justice and health services. The organization is supported by the Spotlight Initiative and the United Nations Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF). WONETHA educates women about sexual and reproductive health and rights, Ugandan laws and human rights.

When joining the project, Mirembe was chosen as one of 24 peer educators by her fellow sex workers. This means that she plays a key role in reaching out to other sex workers to form groups, share information, and that she connects them with health workers and the police. The peer educators also follow up on cases and provide mental support.

When the peer groups meet, they check in with each other and offer support and referrals if someone needs it. Some of them have even formed savings groups to generate other income.

"Before this project, we had no voice and we were taken as mere sex workers," says Mirembe. "Now the ladies can come and speak for themselves. WONETHA has taught us about our rights and how to protect ourselves better."

"We help each other out... If a client tries to be violent you can call for help and the others come and help. We are stronger together."

The project has so far reached more than 2100 women directly, with more than 1500 sex workers receiving sexual and reproductive health services such as HIV testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.

Additionally, more than 300 health workers, district administrators and local leaders have been trained on how to improve sex workers' access to health services and justice.

By Laura Silver
*Name changed to protect privacy

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"We are stronger together" - peer educators in Uganda help women to exercise their rights

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Uganda - "My name is Mirembe*. I am 32 and I have three children. I have been a sex worker for 13 years." Mirembe started sex work when she was working in a bar. Her boss would sometimes take Mirembe's pay, forcing Mirembe to work only for food and accommodation.

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Consejo de gobernantes tradicionales renueva su compromiso para poner fin a la discriminación de género y la violencia contra las mujeres en Nigeria

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ABUJA, Nigeria - The Council of Traditional/Cultural Leaders of Africa (COTLA) has said it will redouble its efforts to ensure violence against women, all forms of gender discrimination and harmful traditional practices come to an end in Nigeria.

This was part of the resolutions made at a meeting between the leadership of COTLA and UN Women in Nigeria on Wednesday, March 17 2021 in Abuja, supported by the joint EU-UN Spotlight Initiative to end all forms of violence against women and girls.

In his opening remarks, the Convener General of COTLA, HRM (Arc.) King Adedapo Aderemi said he appreciated the efforts of UN Women and reiterated his solidarity and commitment to promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in Nigeria.

He pointed out that COVID-19 has exacerbated poverty in society, particularly for women who have had to face numerous challenges trying to care for the family.

"Due to lockdown, reports show an alarming increase in the shadow pandemic violence against women and girls," he said. "Poor access to services such as counselling, police protection, long-term closure of schools due to COVID-19 and bandits have exposed girls to gender-based violence (GBV), child marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM) and unintended pregnancy as well as health challenges such as HIV.

"Child labour, sexual exploitation and abuse have increased. As COTLA we are not bystanders, we are active advocates for laws and policies, ending early and child marriage in our communities, and creating safe spaces."

Photo: UN Women Nigeria

Earlier in her welcome address, the UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Comfort Lamptey, highlighted the important role of traditional leaders in ending violence against women, gender equality and women's empowerment.

Also speaking, the Deputy Convener-General of COTLA, HRH Dr Haliru Yahaya Ndanusa, said that as community leaders, COTLA will galvanize efforts within its base to end violence against women.

In a goodwill message, the Obong of Calabar, Royal Eminence Chief (Barr.) Edem Duke through his representative said the monarch is relentlessly working towards gender equality and women's empowerment. He said he has repealed and amended harmful traditional beliefs and practices and upheld widowhood rights, among other reforms. He said he is working with Spotlight Initiative through the International Federation of Women Lawyers Nigeria (FIDA) to ensure access to justice and essential services for women who have been victimized.

Other speakers, including the Emir of Bwari, Alhaji Awwal Musa Ijokoro (II); HRH Eze Martin Nwali of Ameka Ezza South, Ebonyi State; HRH Eze Ngozi of Abia State; Dr Ahmad Ibrahim Mustafa Ubandoma, District Head of Girie in Adamawa and Alh Kabiru Chigari Alhassan, Sarkin Sudan, Sultanate Council of Sokoto, committed to ending GBV while also testifying to the work the Spotlight Initiative has done in mobilizing and sensitizing local communities towards eradicating gender-based violence and discrimination.

The Spotlight Initiative, through UN Women and COTLA, agreed to implement a strategic plan to accelerate the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls.
For inquiries, please contact: chioma.agwuegbo@unwomen.org
judith.owoicho@one.un.org

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Council of traditional rulers renew commitment to end gender discrimination, violence against women in Nigeria

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ABUJA, Nigeria - The Council of Traditional/Cultural Leaders of Africa (COTLA) has said it will redouble its efforts to ensure violence against women, all forms of gender discrimination and harmful traditional practices come to an end in Nigeria.

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Spotlight Initiative apoya a mujeres y niñas con discapacidad para que sean económicamente independientes en Zimbabue

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Spotlight Initiative supports women and girls with disabilities to become financially independent in Zimbabwe

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CHIPINGE, Zimbabwe – When 41-year-old Angeline Mlambo came across a Spotlight Initiative intervention in her village in Chipinge District, she didn’t expect it to chang

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Cocinando por la igualdad: las mujeres chefs lideran sus comunidades en Vanuatu

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PORT-VILA, Vanuatu - For many years, Myriam Malo earned an income by cooking and selling food at the central market of Port-Vila, Vanuatu. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the country went into lockdown, she was one of the many women who found herself without a job.

Emmy Siro was in a similar position. She worked as a cook in a hotel, but with tourism destroyed by travel restrictions, she no longer had an income.*

We were so excited, we were in tears. We could all sense how this would change our lives forever." - Emmy Siro, Chef at Aelan Mama's Cuisine

In 2021, Ms. Malo and Ms. Siro took part in training with Alternative Community Trade In Vanuatu (ACTIV). ACTIV is a Spotlight Initiative grantee and not-for-profit that supports local communities by facilitating the sale of fair trade local products.They had recently launched a social enterprise called Aelan Mama's Cuisine to train women in food preparation, menu planning and the sustainable management of a small business, with the goal of helping women to achieve financial independence.

Along with nine other Ni-Vanuatu women, some of them survivors of gender-based violence, Myriam and Emmy were able to complement their hospitality knowledge with business skills such as menu planning and budget management.

"While we were learning about food safety and finance management, we were so excited, we were in tears," says Ms. Siro. "We could all sense how this would change our lives forever."

Local specialty served at Aelan Mama's Cuisine. Photo courtesy of ACTIV.

A few months later, the newly graduated chefs opened Aelan Mama's Cuisine, a restaurant that also allows customers to buy food online, providing them with a steady job and reliable stream of income.

It marks the beginning of a new era for the entrepreneurs and they say that more opportunities like Aelan Mama's Cuisine are needed, especially for women living in remote and rural areas of Vanuatu.

"We need to help all the mamas get some training, together we need to join forces to demand more learning opportunities for women and girls," says Ms. Malo.

Ms. Malo has become a champion in her own community, working alongside the community chief and the committees in the village. She is now involved with the Youth Council of 21 Jump Street, working to sensitize young people on the impact of processed and imported food.

"When it comes to food and nutrition, we need to go back to our roots, and I mean it literally," says Ms. Malo. "What we eat impacts our health, the environment, our culture, the local economy and [our] livelihood," she continued, stressing that there is an urgent need to sensitize younger generations on the use of locally sourced food and traditional cooking.

"We tasted what it feels like to be in the driving seat and make decisions that influence our lives and that of our community." - Myriam Malo, chef and community leader

"The training granted permission to all the women to dream bigger and broader, especially when it comes to their rights to learn new skills and participate in the community," said President of ACTIV, Sandrine Wallez.

The group of women chefs - now agents of change - is thinking of new strategies to create more learning opportunities, not only in food preparation but also in sewing, weaving and the creation of artifacts, with the goal of empowering more women.

"We tasted what it feels like to be in the driving seat and make decisions that influence our lives and that of our community, that was the real revolution, there is no going back," says Ms. Malo. She is now considering running for the municipal elections in Port-Vila to ensure that women are heard and their requests acted upon.

"All women need to know the basics of food safety, food preparation and finance. We need to reach all the women, we need to sit around the table where the decisions are made to channel the resources needed for women and girls' training," she concluded.

By Cristina Comunian.

*Before the pandemic, almost 70 per cent of employed women in Vanuatu worked in informal sectors according to The Vanuatu National Statistics Office, often without appropriate legal protections or social security coverage.

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.

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Cooking for equality: women chefs are leading their communities in Vanuatu

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PORT-VILA, Vanuatu - For many years, Myriam Malo earned an income by cooking and selling food at the central market of Port-Vila, Vanuatu. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the country went into lockdown, she was one of the many women who found herself without a job.

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Las niñas deberían poder concentrarse solo en sus estudios: cómo el activismo cambia la vida de las niñas en Mozambique

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“Girls should be able to focus only on their studies”: how activism changes girls’ lives in Mozambique

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MOGOVOLAS, Mozambique – With notebooks in her arms and a bright smile, Maria*, 16, is getting ready for another school day.

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En un municipio de Timor-Leste, un padre toma medidas para prevenir la violencia

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BOBONARO MUNICIPALITY, Timor-Leste - Bento Pereira is a farmer in a rural community located south-west of Timor-Leste's capital Dili. Together with his four sons, daughter and wife, they have become a fine example of how gender-equitable parenting and the development of heathy relationships leads to the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV). But this shift in attitude and behaviour were not an overnight journey for Mr. Pereira, for in his community of Maliana in the municipality of Bobonaro, harsh disciplining has been and remains the norm.

"I learned that instilling gender equal values in our children at home is crucial as this will determine how they will treat women and girls throughout their lifetime." - Bento Pereira, father

He is among the 450 parents across three municipalities (Bobonaro, Viqueque and Ermera) to have benefited from the Connect with Respect (CWR) programme implemented by Alola Foundation and Mane ho Vizaun Foun under the Spotlight Initiative since February 2021. The programme provided training to parents on positive parenting, where they learn critical skills for developing respectful family and gender-equitable relationships. These skills include: understanding social factors and harmful norms that perpetuate GBV; the mechanisms for preventing GBV; and building communication skills to improve parent-children bonds and power dynamics.

In Timor-Leste, violence against women and girls is prevalent, with 34 per cent of women experiencing physical or sexual violence between the ages of 15 and 49. GBV is not the only societal problem affecting relationships within Timor-Leste's families. There are also widespread norms regarding child-rearing and discipline that can be harmful to children, often disproportionately affecting girls. The " Parenting Education Programme to Improve Developmental Outcomes for Disadvantaged Children and Adolescents in Timor-Leste ", has found that 83 per cent of parents believe that it is sometimes necessary to frighten or threaten their children to make them behave, and 46 per cent believe that physical punishment is the way to educate a child properly.

Bento Pereira with his daughter and wife in his house in Maliana, Bobonaro municipality. Photo: UN Women/Jaime Luis

The CWR programme rolled out in October 2021. After completing 10 sessions of positive parenting training, Mr. Pereira stated "With the activities, I learned that instilling gender equal values in our children at home is crucial as this will determine how they will treat women and girls throughout their lifetime."

Seven months later, still a firm believer in gender equality, Mr. Pereira shared that the CWR programme has given him new insights. He insisted that this programme should continue to expand to isolated areas to reach more people who lack knowledge on the dangers of GBV.

"It is going great at home," Mr. Pereira said. "My kids know that they are all special and we value them equally. My wife and I share the responsibilities equally to our children, like you can see here, helping to harvest rice is one tough job and primarily considered a male's responsibility but my daughter and sons come to help when they can. It is the same at home, there is no gendered responsibility."

"Being the only girl is normally hard as you are burdened with all the work just because you are a girl. I am happy we are brought up equally." - Laura Pereira, Mr. Pereira's daughter

His daughter Laura Pereira, who is the youngest child and only daughter, agrees. "Being the only girl is normally hard as you are burdened with all the work just because you are a girl," she said. "I am happy we are brought up equally."

Traditionally, women and girls are served last in family meals. Mr. Pereira sees this as a potential to cause conflict among family members and chooses not to apply it at home.

Aside from this, Mr. Pereira shares that his messages on respectful relationships have not only inspired change in his household but are also reaching the ears of his community. "When we support the habit of using slurs and communicating disrespectfully at home, it becomes normal to our children, and they will do the same when interacting with others. In the end, what this will continue to contribute to is violence."

"The community here is ingrained with traditional norms that often perpetuate gender-based violence. Although it takes time to undo this, it is possible to combat it when we are aware of the prevention measures. I am delighted to have participated in the training," Mr. Pereira said.

By Sylvio Da Fonseca. Originally published by UN Women.

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In a municipality in Timor-Leste, a father is taking action to prevent violence

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BOBONARO MUNICIPALITY, Timor-Leste - Bento Pereira is a farmer in a rural community located south-west of Timor-Leste's capital Dili. Together with his four sons, daughter and wife, they have become a fine example of how gender-equitable parenting and the development of heathy relationships leads to the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV).

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En Níger, la igualdad de oportunidades para mujeres y niñas con discapacidad beneficia a toda la comunidad

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TAHOUA, Niger - With a smile on her face, Oumal khayr Abdoussalam, 30, breastfeeds her young child. In addition to caring for her baby, Ms. Abdoussalam teaches religious sciences to 40 young girls and women in her neighbourhood.

She is a pillar of her community, but Ms. Abdoussalam says things could have turned out very differently if not for her family's unwavering support. Ms. Abdoussalam went blind at the age of 10 after contracting meningitis that was treated too late. When her father decided to enroll her in Koranic school, people discouraged him from doing so. "People used to ask my father: 'What is the advantage of taking your blind daughter to the makaranta (Koranic school)?' But my father did not listen to them," she says.

"People used to ask my father, What is the advantage of taking your blind daughter to the Koranic school?" - - Oumal khayr Abdoussalam, 30

Ms. Abdoussalam quickly distinguished herself and the teacher chose her as an assistant to teach others. Today, she continues to work as an educator and is glad that her community understands that her disability does not affect her capacity to do her job.

"Thanks to the support of the Spotlight Initiative, organizations have understood, through repeated awareness sessions, the importance of welcoming vulnerable people and people living with disabilities in their daily lives," says Ms. Abdoussalam.

Women preachers are very popular in Niger as women find it easier to talk to them and unlike imams, they are able to make house calls. Ms. Abdoussalam uses her influential position to advocate against harmful practices, such as child marriage.

"Thanks to the support of the Spotlight Initiative, organizations have understood the importance of welcoming people living with disabilities in their daily lives." - Ms. Abdoussalam

"The marriage of girls who are too young is violence. People often use the Islamic argument to justify the marriage of little girls, but they refer to a fact out of context," she says. "As a preacher, I know that even if I do not have the power to prevent parents from marrying their daughter before the legal age, I have the duty to sensitize them and advise them to delay the union to allow their daughter to study if she wishes."

Her efforts have not been in vain - in her school, there have been no cases of child marriage.

With the support of the Spotlight Initiative, women's organizations and the public are increasingly making efforts to create inclusive environments. Ms. Abdoussalam is proof that when equal opportunities are given to all women and girls, the entire community benefits.

By Fatou Binetou Dia

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In Niger, equal opportunities for women and girls with disabilities benefits the whole community

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TAHOUA, Niger - With a smile on her face, Oumal khayr Abdoussalam, 30, breastfeeds her young child. In addition to caring for her baby, Ms. Abdoussalam teaches religious sciences to 40 young girls and women in her neighbourhood.

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Spotlight apoya un refugio para la igualdad

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SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - "Me echaron de la casa en la víspera de Navidad. Yo estaba en segundo año de mi carrera cuando mi mamá me dijo 'no volvás nunca', y nunca volví, hasta que ella ya era mayor, aunque siempre le ayudé económicamente. Esta historia se repite en la mayoría de nuestra comunidad, cuando decidimos contar que somos diferentes", dice Héctor.

Las personas LGTBI+ han encontrado un refugio en Diké, una organización cuyos orígenes se remontan a 2007, desarrollando actividades relacionadas con la prevención de VIH en la población de mujeres trans y con la sensibilización en establecimientos de salud privados y públicos, para ayudar a reducir la discriminación.

Con el paso de los años y tras percatarse del escaso conocimiento que tenían las mujeres transgénero en materia de derechos humanos y las pocas garantías para su cumplimiento, así como de las prácticas de automedicación hormonal e infiltración de sustancias como métodos para reafirmar su género, los cuales ocasionaban serios daños en la salud, la organización amplió sus servicios.

Diké es el término que usó Platón en su obra La República para referirse a la justicia. "Diké es la diosa de la justicia", explica Modesto Mendizábal, médico, fundador y actualmente regente de salud de la organización. Desde el espacio físico que ocupa el centro comunitario del colectivo en San Salvador, se brindan diversos servicios para la comunidad LBGTI+ que van desde atenciones médicas en salud sexual, psicológicas, pasando por actividades de educación en derechos humanos e incidencia política, hasta brindar refugio a personas que han sufrido experiencias como la de Héctor.

Entre 2020 y 2021, Diké recibió una subvención por más de USD$29,000, por parte de la Iniciativa Spotlight, un asocio global de la Unión Europea y las Naciones Unidas para eliminar la violencia contra las mujeres y las niñas, bajo el componente implementado por el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD).

Spotlight ha impulsado un abordaje integral para frenar la violencia a través de una estrategia de seis pilares: (1) Marco Legal y de Políticas Públicas, (2) Fortalecimiento Institucional, (3) Prevención y Cambio de Normas Sociales, (4) Servicios Esenciales de Calidad, (5) Disponibilidad y Calidad de los Datos y (6) Apoyo a Movimiento de Mujeres y Organizaciones Feministas.

La subvención a Diké se enmarca en el pilar 4 de la Iniciativa y permitió al colectivo equipar su primer centro comunitario, el cual funciona como un espacio físico para la convivencia social y cultural de la comunidad LGTBI+, además de brindar atención en salud y educación sexual y ser un espacio de acogida temporal para quienes lo necesitan (como migrantes y personas desplazadas, entre otras).

Según Diké, el apoyo de Spotlight permitió aumentar la cantidad de personas de la comunidad que son atendidas en la clínica del Centro Comunitario, pasando de atender a 50 personas en un mes a atender 125; mientras que, en atención psicológica, se acoge hasta a 200 personas cada mes.

"Admitimos a personas que son expulsadas de su hogar por su identidad sexual o personas que vienen desde lejos por algún examen de laboratorio y no tienen para pagar un hotel", explica Mendizábal. El área de refugio, ampliada recientemente, cuenta con una capacidad de atención hasta para 20 personas.

"Nos enfocamos también en el respeto y el aprovechamiento de la persona. Cuando una persona de la comunidad LGBTI+ está acá, le damos todo lo que está a nuestro alcance: buena comida, acceso a cultura, alojamiento, les ayudamos a conseguir trabajo. Eso nos interesa, porque la persona está viva y queremos que viva bien", agrega Mendizabal.

Spotlight también ayudó a reforzar los servicios de salud que provee Diké, aumentando la provisión de medicamentos para la clínica de salud, que cuentan con el aval de la Dirección Nacional de Medicamentos y del Consejo Superior de Salud Pública de El Salvador, de acuerdo con el médico.

"Más allá del equipamiento y de la compra de medicamentos, el logro fue la satisfacción de las mujeres trans y la población LGBTI+ que fueron beneficiarios, porque eso repercute en que tengan una mejor autoestima, mejor autoconcepto. Es mucho más que una compra, es un sentimiento", asegura Catalina, mujer trans, anfitriona del Centro Comunitario.

Además, se contribuyó con la organización en mejorar la provisión de servicios esenciales de salud, psicológicos y de educación en salud y derechos. La subvención de la Iniciativa Spotlight permitió fortalecer a Caleidoscopio y a la Escuela Rivera-Johnson, dos de los 12 programas que ejecuta Diké, el primero relacionado a la investigación y el segundo con la educación sobre género y orientación sexual.

A través de la Escuela Rivera-Johnson, Diké brinda charlas educativas y capacitaciones en materia LGBTI+ y temas conexos, dirigidas a distintas comunidades del país. Este esfuerzo también permitió fortalecer los conocimientos y sensibilizar a más de 6,000 personas del sector Justicia y Seguridad, según los datos de la organización.

En marzo del año pasado, 58 mujeres trans participaron de un proceso formativo financiado por Spotlight que incluyó entre otros temas derechos humanos, violencia basada en género y salud, mediante la realización de talleres en los municipios de San Salvador, San Martín y San Miguel.

Modesto y Catalina aseguran que el apoyo de Spotlight y el fortalecimiento de los servicios derivados de esta subvención también ha permitido abrir las puertas de apoyo con otros organismos internacionales, organizaciones sin fines de lucro y cooperantes. "Fue como un antes y un después... A partir del apoyo de la Iniciativa empezaron a acercarse otros socios y todo empezó a fluir. Spotlight fue como una "varita mágica", coinciden.

La apuesta del PNUD, en el marco de Spotlight, es continuar con el apoyo a iniciativas que fortalezcan la prestación de servicios esenciales y respuestas más eficientes, eficaces e integrales a niñas, adolescentes y mujeres y población vulnerable para contribuir a detener, de una vez por todas, la violencia basada en género.

Historia por: Jenny Flores

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Spotlight apoya un refugio para la igualdad

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SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - "Me echaron de la casa en la víspera de Navidad. Yo estaba en segundo año de mi carrera cuando mi mamá me dijo 'no volvás nunca', y nunca volví, hasta que ella ya era mayor, aunque siempre le ayudé económicamente.

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Migrantes laborales de temporada y sus familias: aprendiendo nuevas habilidades para relaciones saludables.

https://spotlightinitiative.org/es/node/45090

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PORT VILA, Vanuatu - Joe Kalwaski is one of the thousands of seasonal labour migrants from Vanuatu participating in seasonal work schemes in Australia and New Zealand. While abroad, he found out first-hand that labour migration came with challenges, both for him and his family. These include settling in a new environment, handling finances, managing long-distance relationships and changes in family dynamics, which may lead to tension and violence.

For over a decade, tens of thousands of labour migrants from Vanuatu have participated in seasonal work in Australia and New Zealand (*). For most of them, these opportunities have been a gateway to fulfilling their and their family's dreams.

"While engaged in seasonal work, we want the labour migrants to have healthy communication with their families back home, earn income, learn new skills so when they return to Vanuatu they can apply those skills and invest those remittances." - Labour Commissioner for the Vanuatu Department of Labour, Murielle Meltenoven

However, while labour migration offers significant benefits to labour migrants and their host countries, it also comes with risks and vulnerabilities which include gender-based violence and shifting dynamics.

According to the Labour Commissioner for the Vanuatu Department of Labour, Murielle Meltenoven, many workers face social challenges because of long-distance relationships and lack of support, including alcohol consumption and misuse of money.

"While engaged in seasonal work, we want the labour migrants to have healthy communication with their families back home, earn income, learn new skills so when they return to Vanuatu they can apply those skills and invest those remittances," said Ms. Meltenoven.

To prevent and mitigate some of the risks and vulnerabilities faced by migrants and their families, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), World Vision Vanuatu and the Vanuatu Department of Labour (DOL), with support from the Spotlight Initiative, IOM Development Fund (IDF), the Australian Government, and the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP), have created the Famili i Redi (Family Ready) programme.

Through a series of pre-departure workshops, Famili i Redi aims to prevent violence in migrants' families by exploring the challenges of migration for migrants and their families, and the multiple facets of a healthy relationship.

The 5-day workshop is designed to help participants maximize the socio-economic benefits of labour mobility and reduce the risk of gender-based violence through a curriculum which emphasises emotional intelligence, non-violent communication, stress management and constructive decision-making, as well as goals- and expectations-setting, managing finances and remittances skills. Modules also include some practical recommendations on healthy behaviours regarding nutrition, alcohol consumption and COVID-19.

"Through this workshop, I have learnt the importance of working together with my partner. We have goals which we want to achieve and in order to do that, we need to work together and communicate with each other," said Mr. Kalwaski.

"Through this workshop, I have learnt the importance of working together with my partner, we have goals which we want to achieve and in order to do that we need to work together and communicate with each other." - Joe Kalwaski, seasonal worker

In 2021, 10 workshops were delivered, reaching a total of 375 participants. By involving both migrant workers and their partners or close family members in the migration preparation phase, and by equipping them with new knowledge and skills, the journey through migration can become a growth opportunity for the entire family.

Workshop participant Fiona Emily acknowledged the importance of the training and said the key takeaway for her was the importance of trust and communication.

"When you are working overseas, away from family, differences with families or loved ones can impact productivity. Through this training, I have learnt about the importance of trust and communication and I am determined to achieve the goals I have set with my family," Ms. Emily said.

Preliminary results from follow-up surveys and interviews, scheduled 2-3 months after the workshop, show 70 per cent of respondents indicating that their relationship with their partner had significantly improved after the workshop, 75 per cent indicating that they understood significantly more about the different forms of violence than before, and 70 per cent indicating that they had already used the stress management strategies taught during the workshop - strategies which support constructive decision-making and help reduce the risk of violence.

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.

Footnote:
(*) Before COVID-19 travel restrictions, approximately 24,000 men and women travelled from the Pacific and Timor-Leste to Australia and New Zealand each year to participate in seasonal worker programmes.

By Cristina Comunian

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Seasonal labour migrants and their families: learning new skills for healthy relationships

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PORT VILA, Vanuatu - Joe Kalwaski is one of the thousands of seasonal labour migrants from Vanuatu participating in seasonal work schemes in Australia and New Zealand. While abroad, he found out first-hand that labour migration came with challenges, both for him and his family.

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Convención de Estambul 2011

El Convenio del Consejo de Europa sobre prevención y lucha contra la violencia contra las mujeres y la violencia doméstica, también conocido como Convenio de Estambul o Convención de Estambul, es una convención del Consejo de Europa que tiene por objetivo la lucha contra la violencia contra mujeres y la violencia doméstica.​ Se presentó en Estambul en 2011 y está en vigor en Europa desde el 1 de agosto de 2014.​ A 2022, ha sido firmado por 45 países y ratificado por 37 países.​

Es el primer instrumento de carácter vinculante en el ámbito europeo en materia de violencia contra la mujer y violencia doméstica, y está considerado el tratado internacional más completo y de mayor alcance sobre la lucha contra la violencia contra las mujeres y la violencia doméstica.​ Reconoce la violencia contra las mujeres como una violación de los derechos humanos y aborda la violencia contra las mujeres a través de medidas dirigidas a la prevención de la violencia, la protección a las víctimas y el enjuiciamiento de los autores.​

El Convenio contempla como delito todas las formas de violencia contra la mujer: la violencia física, psicológica y sexual, incluida la violación; la mutilación genital femenina, el matrimonio forzado, el acoso, el aborto forzado y la esterilización forzada. Esto implica que los Estados deberán introducir en sus sistemas jurídicos estos delitos.

En este punto de información podemos consultar la infografía que recoge los cuatro pilares fundamentales de este convenio:
1.- PREVENCIÓN.
2.- PROTECCIÓN.
3.- ENJUICIAMIENTO.
4.- POLÍTICAS COORDINADAS.

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Reivindicando mi dignidad’: rompiendo el ciclo de violencia en Mozambique

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MANICA PROVINCE, Mozambique - It's early morning in Mpengo Village, Manica province, East Mozambique. Amid this colourful and fertile landscape, children are waking up, their laughter and footsteps can be heard echoing through the streets. Sarudzai Saize, 26, leaves her house and navigates the bumpy road outside in a wheelchair, her 1-year-old daughter on her lap. Sarudzai is an orphan, a woman with a disability and a survivor of violence.

"I had an unplanned pregnancy, and I was stigmatized, discriminated against, excluded and eventually abandoned by my husband because of my disability," says Ms. Saize who found herself alone after discovering she was pregnant at 25. Since the death of her parents, she'd had no one else to rely on for support.

"I was stigmatized, discriminated against, excluded and eventually abandoned by my husband because of my disability." - Sarudzai Saize, businesswoman

Ms. Saize's vulnerable situation was reported to authorities, who referred her to Girl Child Rights (GCR), a Mozambican civil society organization implementing the Spotlight Initiative African Regional Programme.

Ms. Saize joined the Spotlight Initiative in 2021 to receive training on business management, financial literacy and accessing employment. Under the Initiative, she joined the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) which helps women to launch businesses and become financially independent. VSLAs provide access to small loans and a space to discuss business ideas at weekly meetings. She also benefited from life skills opportunities, including training on business development, leadership, financial literacy, and industries such as agriculture, cereal processing and livestock production.

Overcoming prejudice
"Thanks to the Spotlight Initiative, I've started my own business. Before, my life was very difficult. I couldn't save money to buy groundnuts to sell. Now I can take care of myself and my daughter," says Ms. Saize.

Through the VSLA, Ms. Saize was able to get a loan of $50 USD to start a hairdresser business and turn her house into a salon. She used the profits to buy more equipment and supplies. Less than a year later, she was earning enough income to support herself and her newborn daughter.

To date, 60 Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) groups have been established in Manica province by Girl Child Rights (GCR).

Feeling financially empowered, Ms. Saize started two more businesses: baking and selling cakes and roasting and selling groundnuts. She soon employed three more women.

"Thanks to the Spotlight Initiative, I've started my own business. Before, my life was very difficult... Now I can take care of myself and my daughter." - Ms. Sarudzai

"Life is not easy and it's even worse when you are a woman with a disability and without financial resources," she says. "The Spotlight Initiative gave me the opportunity to be a recognized and dignified person in my community."

In 2021, more than 9,000 Mozambican women were reached by Spotlight Initiative-supported economic empowerment activities to reduce their vulnerability to poverty and gender-based violence.

Mozambique has the 10th highest rate of early marriages in the world, with 48 per cent of girls marrying before the age of 18 ( DHS, 2011). As Ms. Saize can attest, financial literacy, technical and vocational training in business management have important implications for young girls' and women's financial independence - and by extension, their ability to break the cycle of violence. Supporting women-led entrepreneurship groups is critical to achieving gender equality.

"My whole life, I've been told by community members: 'you are incapable of doing anything' but today I have proved them all wrong," says Ms. Saize. "Disability is not inability."

By Soraia Ribeiro

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'Reclaiming my dignity' - breaking the cycle of violence in Mozambique

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MANICA PROVINCE, Mozambique - It's early morning in Mpengo Village, Manica province, East Mozambique. Amid this colourful and fertile landscape, children are waking up, their laughter and footsteps can be heard echoing through the streets. Sarudzai Saize, 26, leaves her house and navigates the bumpy road outside in a wheelchair, her 1-year-old daughter on her lap.

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Pide medidas más duras para poner fin a la MGF en Uganda.

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KARAMOJA/SEBEI, Uganda - Fourteen-year-old Judith* and five other Ugandan Pokot girls narrowly escaped forced female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage after being tricked into travelling to neighbouring Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The six girls from Namosing village in Loro sub-county, Northeast Amudat district, trekked barefoot for about 15 kilometers to Alale, Western Kenyan Pokot district in June 2020 - supposedly to visit a friend's grandmother.

"She lied and tricked us. She told us we were going to visit her grandmother across the border in Kenya." - Judith*, 14

"One of our friends hatched [the] plan. She lied and tricked us. She told us we were going to visit her grandmother across the border in Kenya," said Judith, who is currently at Kalas Girls Primary school in Amudat, a safe haven for girls fleeing FGM or escaping child marriage.

"We stayed there for over a week. One day, we were taken to the gold mining site to work in order to get the money to pay the old woman (FGM practitioner). Luckily, someone tipped [us off] and leaked information to us that we had been brought to undergo FGM," she said.

"Three of us escaped and went to the area local chief, who rescued us and took us to the Assistant County Commissioner. They rescued the other three girls. We were connected to the police in Amudat. We narrowly escaped FGM and child marriage."

Kalas Primary School students sing to welcome Uganda's State Minister for Gender and Culture Affairs, Peace Regis Mutuuzo, and MPs on the Parliamentary Committee of Gender, Labour and Social Development. Photo: UNFPA/Samuel Okiror

According to the ethnic Pokot tribe, once girls have been mutilated, they are deemed ready for marriage and taken out of school - a practice being combatted under Spotlight Initiative through UNFPA and UNICEF's Joint Programme to End FGM and the Global Programme to End Child Marriage.

Since January 2021, six cases of FGM have been registered in Amudat, compared to 13 in 2020, according to a brief presented by Chief Administrative Officer Masokoyi Wassa during a high level visit led by the State Minister for Gender and Cultural Affairs, Hon. Peace Mutuuzo, on 14 September 2021. The delegation included 25 members of the Parliamentary Committee on Gender, Labour and Social Development.

Hon. Mutuuzo led a five-day field monitoring mission to FGM practising districts in Karamoja and Sebei regions to generate new evidence on the harmful practices in the context of COVID-19. The evidence from the visits will be presented on the floor of Parliament to advocate for more Government budgetary allocation to interventions to end FGM and child marriage.

The findings will also inform high level policy discussions taking place in the capital, Kampala, and Uganda's country progress report on FGM elimination at the Regional FGM Inter-Ministerial meeting.

"Luckily, someone tipped [us off] and leaked information to us that we had been brought to undergo FGM." - Judith

"We found out that there are increasing cases of FGM, forced child marriage and teenage pregnancies during the COVID-19 pandemic. When we outlawed FGM, the practice didn't stop. It went underground," said Hon. Mutuuzo, whose delegation also visited existing gender-based violence (GBV) shelters in Moroto, Kween and Tororo districts to gain comprehensive knowledge of the service package provided to survivors.

Hon. Flavia Kabahenda Rwabuhoro, chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Gender, Labour and Social Development recommended a review of all existing policies and legal frameworks to decisively tackle GBV.
"A number of policy documents and legal frameworks (GBV, FGM, and Child Acts) will be reviewed to address existing gaps so that we can come up with a complete plan and programmes to tackle GBV cases," said Hon. Kabahenda.

"We need to do a lot of sensitization on mindset change and we are starting it now. We are going to advocate for school establishment and vocational studies in those areas where FGM is still being practised. We are going to factor in GBV/FGM into our budgets, institutions operations and structures," Hon. Mutuuzo said.
*Name changed to protect privacy.

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Calls for tougher action to end FGM in Uganda

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KARAMOJA/SEBEI, Uganda - Fourteen-year-old Judith* and five other Ugandan Pokot girls narrowly escaped forced female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage after being tricked into travelling to neighbouring Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic. The six girls from Namosing village in Loro sub-county, Northeast Amudat district, trekked barefoot for about 15 kilometers to Alale, Western Kenyan Pokot district in June 2020 - supposedly to visit a friend's grandmother.

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Parlamento Europeo - Parlamentarium, Place du Luxembourg, Bruselas, Bélgica

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Josep Borrell Fontelles-(Crédito: ONU Mujeres / Ryan Brown).

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Parlamento Europeo - Parlamentarium, Place du Luxembourg, Bruselas, Bélgica

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Parlamento Europeo - Parlamentarium, Place du Luxembourg, Bruselas, Bélgica

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Josep Borrell Fontelles es el Alto Representante de la Unión Europea para Asuntos Exteriores y Política de Seguridad/Vicepresidente de la Comisión para una Europa más fuerte en el mundo. Es co-presidente del Consejo de Administración de la Iniciativa Spotlight. El Sr. Borrell se encarga de coordinar la acción exterior de la Unión Europea. Antes de su nombramiento, fue ministro español de Asuntos Exteriores.

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IES Isabel la Católica, Calle Cristóbal Colón, Boadilla del Monte

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IES Isabel la Católica, Calle Cristóbal Colón, Boadilla del Monte

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IES Isabel la Católica, Calle Cristóbal Colón, Boadilla del Monte

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ESCUELA EMBAJADORA DEL PARLAMENTO EUROPEO.
El objetivo de este muro es dar a conocer la Iniciativa Spotlight en nuestro entorno.

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We're on a mission to create a culture where women and girls can thrive. But culture doesn't change until people do. That's why Spotlight Initiative has partnered with The Social Good Club to invite content creators to help us build a world that is safe for women and girls - both online and offline.