{"id":1292,"date":"2026-01-10T19:45:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T19:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brhrd.be\/?p=1292"},"modified":"2026-01-17T19:48:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T19:48:51","slug":"at-the-heart-of-change-spotlight-initiative-showcases-breakthroughs-in-ending-gender-based-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brhrd.be\/?p=1292","title":{"rendered":"At the Heart of Change: Spotlight Initiative Showcases Breakthroughs in Ending Gender-Based Violence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Putting women and girls <strong>\u201cat the heart of every decision\u201d<\/strong> is essential to ending gender-based violence, according to <strong>Spotlight Initiative<\/strong> Global Coordinator <strong>Erin Kenny<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since its launch in <strong>2017<\/strong>, the UN\u2013EU partnership has worked across regions to prevent and respond to <strong>gender-based violence (GBV)<\/strong>, including <strong>sexual violence, femicide, human trafficking, and labour exploitation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The urgency remains stark: <strong>one in three women worldwide<\/strong> has experienced physical or sexual violence, with even higher rates in some countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A new Spotlight report highlights how <strong>community-driven, survivor-centred approaches<\/strong> are delivering real change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Empowerment and Inclusion in Zimbabwe<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In rural Zimbabwe, <strong>Ndakaitei Matare<\/strong>, a woman with a physical disability, is helping transform lives by leading disability support groups that raise awareness about <strong>GBV, rights, and inclusion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through a partnership between Spotlight and the government, women with disabilities\u2014long excluded from services\u2014are now organizing, sharing knowledge, and advocating for equal access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWe are capable of doing a lot if we unite and work together,\u201d Matare said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Improved Access to Justice for Survivors<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Spotlight has strengthened <strong>survivor-friendly justice systems<\/strong>, expanding <strong>Victim-Friendly Courts<\/strong> that provide safe, supportive spaces for women and children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Zimbabwe, judicial authorities now offer <strong>transport and food allowances<\/strong> to survivors and have expanded courts equipped with <strong>separation rooms<\/strong>, reducing retraumatisation and barriers to justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Supporting Child Survivors in Haiti<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In Haiti, Spotlight has supported survivors like <strong>Ta\u00efna<\/strong>, who was kidnapped and raped by gang members at age 15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Spotlight\u2019s support, she received <strong>medical care, trauma counselling, safe housing, education support, livelihood training, and emergency relocation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cIn this environment, I could finally breathe,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the scale of violence\u2014<strong>more than one in three Haitian women<\/strong> has experienced partner violence\u2014Spotlight\u2019s integrated services are helping survivors rebuild their lives and futures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Protecting Migrant Women Workers in Thailand<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Women migrant workers remain among the most vulnerable to exploitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Thailand, Spotlight has helped women like <strong>Namwaan<\/strong>, who migrated from Myanmar and endured long hours, low pay, and abuse in factory work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through <strong>awareness campaigns, airport help desks, and training for service providers<\/strong>, women migrant workers are learning about their rights and how to seek help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cThis programme gives millions of women hope for decent work free from violence,\u201d Namwaan said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ending Corporal Punishment in Tajikistan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In <strong>2023<\/strong>, <strong>Tajikistan<\/strong> became the <strong>66th country worldwide<\/strong> to ban corporal punishment\u2014an achievement supported by Spotlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The initiative helped establish:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>15 victim support rooms<\/strong> offering medical, psychological, and referral services<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Community-level prevention, including <strong>religious leaders as advocates for gender equality<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <strong>national school incident-reporting mechanism<\/strong>, now adopted by the government and set to expand nationwide by <strong>2030<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Proven Model for Lasting Change<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Across continents, Spotlight\u2019s work shows that <strong>lasting change happens when women and girls lead<\/strong>, institutions are strengthened, and communities are engaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By centring survivors, building inclusive systems, and shifting harmful norms, the initiative demonstrates that ending gender-based violence is not only possible\u2014but already underway.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Putting women and girls \u201cat the heart of every decision\u201d is essential to ending gender-based violence, according to Spotlight Initiative Global Coordinator Erin Kenny. Since its launch in 2017, the UN\u2013EU partnership has worked across regions to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV), including sexual violence, femicide, human trafficking, and labour exploitation. The urgency [&hellip;]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1293,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-topics"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>At the Heart of Change: Spotlight Initiative Showcases Breakthroughs in Ending Gender-Based Violence - Brussels for Human Rights and development<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brhrd.be\/?p=1292\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"At the Heart of Change: Spotlight Initiative Showcases Breakthroughs in Ending Gender-Based Violence - Brussels for Human Rights and development\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Putting women and girls \u201cat the heart of every decision\u201d is essential to ending gender-based violence, according to Spotlight Initiative Global Coordinator Erin Kenny. 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