Spotlight Initiative
In 2017, the European Union made an unusual move. It committed €500 million to a single UN partnership, betting big on one goal: ending violence against women and girls.
That bet became the Spotlight Initiative, now the world’s largest targeted effort against this kind of violence.
UN Women
How It Works
Spotlight pools funding from the EU and other donors into one multi-stakeholder trust fund. Five UN agencies implement the work together: UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women, and others, depending on the country.
A Governing Body sets overall direction, co-chaired by the UN Deputy Secretary-General and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs. Country-level work is led by UN Resident Coordinators, in partnership with local governments and civil society.
Where It Operates
Spotlight runs in more than 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Pacific. Each regional programme targets the forms of violence most prevalent locally, from domestic violence to harmful practices like female genital mutilation and child marriage.
Results So Far
The numbers are genuinely striking. Conviction rates for gender-based violence doubled across 13 countries. Close to 3 million women and girls accessed gender-based violence services, including long-term recovery support. Over 540 laws or policies were signed or strengthened to protect women and girls.
Money reached the ground level too. $195 million went directly to civil society organizations, nearly half of all activity funds. More than 5,000 grassroots women’s rights organizations reported greater influence as a result.
In 2023, the UN named Spotlight a High-Impact Initiative, recognizing its contribution across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
What’s New in 2026
Spotlight isn’t winding down. In February 2026, the African Union, EU, and UN launched SIARP 2.0, a scaled-up second phase of the Africa Regional Programme. It expands the focus to include sexual and reproductive health and rights alongside violence prevention.
This signals something important. Donors are doubling down on Spotlight rather than retiring it, even as funding tightens elsewhere in the gender equality space.
RYB’s Place in This Picture
RYB tracks Spotlight as proof that large, coordinated funding can move real numbers on violence against women. It is the clearest institutional counterpart to RYB’s own GBV and VAWG research.
Looking Forward
Watch whether other regions follow Africa’s lead with their own “2.0” phases. SIARP 2.0’s results over the next two years will likely shape whether donors expand or scale back the model elsewhere.
Sources
- The Spotlight Initiative, UN Women — unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/spotlight-initiative
- Spotlight Initiative Fund, UNDP Multi-Partner Trust Fund — mptf.undp.org/fund/sif00
- African Union, European Union and United Nations launch Spotlight Initiative Africa Regional Programme 2.0, EEAS — eeas.europa.eu/delegations/african-union-au/african-union-european-union-and-united-nations-launch-spotlight-initiative-africa-regional_en
- Spotlight Initiative results overview — spotlightinitiative.org