Spotlight Initiative Guyana moves into second phase of implementation

In February 2023, the Spotlight Initiative (SI) team hosted a virtual meeting with SI stakeholders to discuss the planned activities for the second phase of the project.

European Union Ambassador Rene Van Nes, during brief remarks at the meeting, highlighted the importance of partnerships and commended the team in Guyana for the work executed in 2022. He commended the leadership of the Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, who he said has taken the charge in ending violence against women and girls (VAWG). He also thanked the UN family in Guyana and its civil society partners for their involvement and commitment to the work of the SI. “Through this vital initiative, we are committed to ensuring our partnership continues to deliver the kind of results needed in addressing Gender-Based Violence globally by supporting countries like Guyana. Spotlight is the largest targeted effort in the world to end all forms of violence against women and girls, where the EU made a substantial investment of €500 million for this global initiative. The EU is committed to continuing to promote women and girls' full enjoyment of human rights as a priority across all areas of our actions,” the Ambassador said.

Also underscoring the importance of partnerships, Yeşim Oruç the UN Resident Coordinator credited the partners, especially Spotlight Initiative’s civil society partners, as one of the main reasons for the programme's success in Guyana. Noting that Guyana’s national ownership of the programme is a global success recognized internationally, she further credited the Minister’s leadership and the Ministry’s holistic approach to services for the programme’s success.

Minister Persaud, for her part, emphasized the need to maintain an integrated approach between the various activities under the SI for the programme to remain successful. She added that systems put in place must be accessible, inclusive, and spread across the country to give a full understanding to citizens that there are support networks across our geography. The Minister also stated that she wants to give particular focus to prevention and intervention within the Spotlight Initiative. “What I really want to see is a reduction in  the number of cases that we are seeing, and I think the next phase that we are about to embark on will bring to fruition a number of proprietary efforts that we would have done in the first phase and although the time is short, I know we are poised to making a lot of these things into realities and bringing to the fore one of the very good things that Guyana has managed to do, which is national ownership of Spotlight,” she said.

Minister Persaud’s comments specifically referred to the sustainability aspect of the Spotlight Initiative. At the close of the programme this year, respective host countries, including Guyana, are expected to maintain the momentum and, using the model of the Spotlight Initiative, continue the work of ending violence against women and girls at a national level. Minister Persaud assured that Guyana is ready to undertake the responsibility of continuing to reach the broader goals of the programme while adapting the initiatives under the SI to fit the specifics of Guyana’s society and service delivery mechanisms.

In Phase II the programme will build on the foundations laid in Phase I. Plans for 2023 include supporting an implementation plan for the roll-out of new legislation on Harassment and Family Violence; support for the entrepreneurial empowerment to the vulnerable through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security support mechanisms; support to CSOs to engage media partners to improve the advocacy platforms for the media, sports, and other sectors; piloting of models of GBV services delivery, which will include the GBV Essential Services Package, the GBV Mobile & Remote Services Delivery models, and the GBV One Stop Center model; the strengthening of interventions to address the economic empowerment of women; and strengthening of GBV Case Management services and GBV information management systems.​

The Spotlight Initiative enjoys the full commitment of the government of Guyana and as part of the sustainability of the programme plans to ensure momentum behind its goals. Several of the programme’s interventions are being considered for integration in national service delivery mechanisms to complement the existing systems to address GBV. 

About the Spotlight Initiative

The Spotlight Initiative is a global initiative of the United Nations which has received generous support from the European Union. Its aim is to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. Its investments across more than 25 countries are addressing legislative and policy gaps, strengthening institutions, promoting gender-equitable attitudes, and providing quality services for survivors. Interventions are also strengthening systems for collecting data on violence against women and girls and women’s movements. Learn more at www.spotlightinitiative.org.