Spotlight Initiative High-Impact Programme for Violence Elimination 

Objectives

Spotlight Initiative is the United Nations (UN) 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 that 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.

Programme scope
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) occurs around the world, cutting across generations, nationalities, communities and all spheres of our societies. It is the most universal and pervasive human rights violation that costs the global economy trillions of US dollars—a number that does not account for the horrific impact to the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities.

Over the past several years, Spotlight Initiative has generated a wealth of knowledge, lessons and best practices on integrated and comprehensive programming on ending VAWG. Critically, the Initiative amassed unique technical, operational and strategic experience in designing and implementing comprehensive, multi-stakeholder programmes on ending VAWG. 

The UN and European Union developed the Spotlight Initiative High-Impact Programme for Violence Elimination to secure achievements and ensure Spotlight Initiative results are sustained. The High-Impact Programme contributes to comprehensive and effective country and regional programmes on ending VAWG, as well as increasing global awareness and knowledge and onboarding new programme countries and partnerships. 

Strategic action and theory of change
The overall objective of the HIVE programme is to ensure achievements and results of the Spotlight Initiative are sustained, contribute to comprehensive and effective country programmes on ending VAWG, and increase global awareness, knowledge sharing and networking on ending VAWG.

Specifically, the programme will contribute to the following:

• Dissemination and enhancement of data and research on GBV and various forms of violence at global and regional levels.
• Design of technical packages in line with the Spotlight Initiative model and consolidation of evidence-based strategies, knowledge, and tools on VAWG that are made available for new programmes and advocacy purposes.
• Expansion of global and regional strategic partnerships to advance efforts on ending GBV, including communication, behaviour change strategies, events and campaigns.
• Increasing expertise at the country level to ensure the development and sustainability of comprehensive programmes to end VAWG that are in line with the Spotlight Initiative model.

Governance

Joint Programme Steering Committee
The HIVE programme is governed by a joint programme Steering Committee that provides overall oversight and management of the programme. The Committee provides strategic direction, fiduciary and management oversight of the programme, with decision-making authority within contractual provisions. Members meet annually for progress reviews or more often, as needed, for timely and effective joint programme decision-making and coordination functions.

Convening Agent
The Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG) is the Convening Agent and leads the coordination of the overall design, set-up, implementation and reporting of the Joint Programme, including ensuring the sustainability of results, complementing resource mobilization and broad engagement with relevant partners and stakeholders.

Administrative Agent
The HIVE 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 and manages programme resources in a unified, standard, effective, and efficient way.

Projects

Spotlight Initiative High-Impact Programme for Violence Elimination

Spotlight Initiative High-Impact Programme for Violence Elimination 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 High-Impact Programme for Violence Elimination

Results

Expected Results

Results are derived by implementing programmes to achieve four strategic outputs:

1. Output 1.1: Evidence-based data and research from Spotlight Initiative programmes on VAWG and type of violence at the global and regional levels are enhanced and published.
2. Output 1.2: Technical package in line with the Spotlight Initiative model, and evidence-based strategies, knowledge and tools on violence against women and girls are further consolidated and made available for new country programmes and advocacy purposes.
3. Output 1.3: Expanded global and regional strategic partnerships advance efforts on ending gender-based violence, including through communications, behaviour change strategies, events and campaigns.
4. Output 1.4: Increased expertise at the country level to ensure the development and sustainability of comprehensive programmes on ending violence against women and girls in line with the Spotlight Initiative model.

ContactsPoints of contact