Spotlight Initiative 2.0 - Joint Programme in Ecuador 

Objectives

Spotlight Initiative is the United Nations high-impact initiative to end violence against women and girls. Following its global launch in 2017, the Initiative has provided a model for comprehensive programming on ending violence against women and girls that places women and girls at the centre of solutions, accelerates and localizes the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and provides a platform for operationalization of UN development system reforms. 

The Initiative has proven a comprehensive theory of change and new ways of working—that synthesize an array of global resources and partners—can lead to transformative results that end violence against women and girls. The Initiative adopted a disruptive and innovative model that fosters a whole-of-society, whole-of-government, and systems-wide change.

In 2023, Spotlight Initiative was designated by the UN Secretary-General as a High-Impact Initiative during the SDG Summit based on impressive results that have accelerated progress across all the SDGs.

The Spotlight Initiative 2.0: Joint Programme in Ecuador is part of the broader global umbrella framework of Spotlight Initiative programmes that builds upon and scales up successes of the 2020-2023 Spotlight Initiative programme in Ecuador.

Programme scope
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is rooted in structural inequality in power relations between women and men. It persists in every country in the world and is one of the most systematic and widespread human rights violations. Approximately two in three women have experienced some form of violence in Ecuador. The immediate and long-term physical, sexual and mental consequences for women and girls can be devastating. Femicide—gender-related killing—is the most brutal and extreme manifestation of VAWG and it has increased in Ecuador.

Building on results from the first phase of the Initiative in Ecuador, the next iteration of the Programme aims to strengthen the capacity of government and civil society organizations to prevent VAWG and eradicate femicide. To this end, the Programme will:

• Strengthen the capacity of institutions to implement regulatory frameworks, laws and policies on ending VAWG, as well as strengthen the analysis and generation of gender-responsive data for decision-making.
• Promote favourable social norms, attitudes and behaviours, and positive concepts of masculinity to prevent VAWG.
• Strengthen the provision, quality of and access to essential services for survivors of violence at national and local levels.
• Foster strong participation and agency of women’s movements and civil society in the prevention and response to VAWG.

The programme has adopted a human-rights, gender-responsive and inclusive approach aligned with national and international human rights legal frameworks and instruments. The aim is to reach 20,545 direct beneficiaries.

Strategic action and theory of change
The programme is based on the following theory of change:

• If legal and judiciary institutions are strengthened to effectively and efficiently implement provisions from the Comprehensive Organic Law for the Prevention and Eradication of Violence against Women, as well as produce qualitative and quantitative information that enables evidence-based decision-making;
• If socio-cultural patterns that generate and reproduce VAWG are changed through comprehensive strategies and positive masculinities are promoted;
• If the justice, security and health sectors are strengthened to provide quality response services to survivors of violence; and,
• If the capacity of civil society organization to advocate, monitor and implementation of VAWG legal frameworks and policies is enhanced;
• Then a favourable legislative, political, legal and social environment will be established to address, prevent and eradicate VAWG, femicide and harmful practices.

Furthermore, the Programme is fully aligned to the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Corporation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022–2025 in Ecuador and contributes to the implementation of the Comprehensive Organic Law for the Prevention and Eradication of Violence against Women and legal framework on femicide.

Governance

National Steering Committee
The Committee ensures alignment of the programme with national priorities and regulations, as well as international human rights standards enshrined in international instruments adopted by Ecuador. The Committee provides programme governance, strategic direction and oversight, ensures alignment with recommendations made by monitoring mechanisms, and provides policy and strategic oversight of the programme in consultation with participating UN organizations.

Civil Society National Reference Group
Meaningful engagement of women’s rights groups is a central principle of the Spotlight Initiative. The Civil Society National Reference Group facilitates systematic civil society engagement in design and implementation of the programme in Ecuador, while also providing an advisory function, advocating to partners on realizing objectives, and holding the programme accountable to commitments. More specifically, members harness expertise from gender, human rights, and anti-VAWG and anti-femicide advocates to strengthen programme effectiveness and accountability by providing advice and feedback that is informed by women’s and feminist movements.

Technical Committee
The Technical Committee provides strategic advice and technical assistance to ensure programmatic consistency of the programme, including its impact, sustainability and adequate implementation and management. It will also liaise with the UN and agency cooperation frameworks and ensure alignment with the principles that govern Spotlight Initiative. The Committee is composed of a technical specialist from the Office of the Resident Coordinator, UN Women, UNFPA and UNDP, the Spotlight Initiative Programme Coordinator and the designated representative of the European Union Delegation.

Participating Organizations
Participating United Nations Organizations develop project proposals, and report on implementation and financial performance to the Steering Committee through the Secretariat and Administrative Agent. Organizations establish mechanisms to implement activities through national authorities and other national, regional, and international organizations and local NGOs.

Administrative Agent
The Programme uses a pass-through fund management modality as a mechanism to promote enhanced coherence, collaboration, and efficiency in the spirit of UN Reform. The Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office is the administrative agent for the Programme. The Administrative Agent is responsible for the receipt, administration and management of contributions from donors, disbursement of funds to Recipient Organizations, and consolidation and dissemination of progress reports to donors.   

Projects

Spotlight Initiative 2.0 - Joint Programme in Ecuador

Spotlight Initiative 2.0 - Joint Programme in Ecuador is currently supporting count_projects ongoing projectscount_globalInterregional and count_countries country-specific. This table shows the most recently approved ongoing projects.

All project financial information can be found in the Financials section, including delivery analysis by organization, theme and project; project financial status by country and by theme.

Spotlight Initiative 2.0 - Joint Programme in Ecuador

Results

Expected results

Violence against women and girls, and harmful practices, are complex issues that require mutually reinforcing actions at multiple levels to achieve sustainable results. The Spotlight Initiative Programme 2.0 in Ecuador will build on successes from the first phase of the Initiative to implement interventions that yield transformative results and ensure:

• The capacity of government institutions to implement effectively and efficiently the provisions of the Comprehensive Organic Law for the Prevention and Eradication of Violence against Women, as well as other legal frameworks, strategies and policies on violence and femicide are strengthened.
• Socio-cultural norms and practices that generate and reproduce violence against women and girls are eliminated and positive masculinity approaches are promoted.
• Justice, security and health sectors provide quality, essential services to survivors of violence that are in line with international standards.
• The capacity of women’s movements and civil society organizations to advocate for, monitor and implement actions that support the prevention and response to femicide and violence against women and girls is strengthened.

ContactsPoints of contact