Despite COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, some 650,000 women and girls were provided with gender-based violence services through a joint UN and European Union (EU) program working to stamp out what is arguably one of the most prevalent human rights violations. This is just one of the achievements detailed in the Spotlight Initiative’s impact report for 2020-21, launched in New York on Friday. Rising to the challenge details how the partners rapidly adjusted programs during the global crisis to address the shadow pandemic of violence against women and girls. “COVID-19 continues to exacerbate violence against women and girls in a context of sustained and new backlash against women’s rights globally,” said Sima Bahous, executive director of UN Women, which supports governments in achieving gender equality. “Now more than ever we need concentrated action to protect the gains made and to guard against reversals.” Grassroots support The Spotlight Initiative is the world’s largest targeted effort to end all forms of violence against women and girls. In addition to scaling up services during the pandemic, it assisted civil society organizations to swiftly adapt to the changing environment and to strengthen online services, such as telecounseling and hotlines. Funds were also shifted to support more local and grassroots organizations, with $146 million allocated to date. Targeting men and boys Additionally, some 880,000 men and boys were educated on positive masculinity, respectful family relationships, non-violent conflict resolution and parenting. Henrietta Fore, executive director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), reported on some of the activities across the globe. “In Malawi, we are working with community organizations and media partners to raise awareness among educators, young people, and especially boys. These efforts are helping to increase reporting and providing girls and women with faster and more effective support,” she said. Promoting stronger laws Violence against women and girls, which exists in all societies, is often compounded by other humanitarian crises and has only intensified during the pandemic. Achim Steiner, head of the UN Development Program (UNDP), stated that although strong strategies and legal frameworks do not guarantee the end of gender-based violence, “they are essential to making a dent in this global scourge.” For example, the Spotlight Initiative has helped 17 Latin American countries to fully incorporate femicide in their penal codes, and to add clauses that severely punish perpetrators. “We have also worked with thousands of parliamentarians, for instance through collaborating with UN Women, in setting up a COVID-19 global response gender tracker to try and allow legislators and policy makers to immediately draw, in the midst of the pandemic, on best practices and the ability to actually act on violence against women, and working with well over 1,000 local and grassroots women’s organizations,” he said. To build on achievements so far, the EU and UN have decided to develop a Spotlight Global Platform which combines a knowledge hub, community of practice and “advocacy instrument” grounded in the practical experience gained through the initiative. Olaf Skoog, ambassador of the EU Delegation, said even though incidences of violence against women and girls worldwide have been devastating, the partnership has yielded impressive results. “We always say that if we are to make a better world, it has to start at home. And here at the UN, we are busy on a daily basis trying to resolve the major conflicts of the world. But part of that has to be that we are very effective fighting the violence in our own societies,” he said. “And no society is free of this plight.”— UN News