Technology-facilitated violence against women and girls, or TF VAWG, is an act of violence perpetrated by one or more individuals that is committed, assisted, aggravated and amplified in part or fully by the use of information and communication technologies or digital media against a person on the basis of gender.
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Background
Launched in 2017 with an initial investment of over 500 million USD from the European Union, Spotlight Initiative is the United Nations Secretary-General’s High Impact Initiative to end violence against women and girls (EVAWG). Recognized as one of 12 UN High-Impact Initiatives – driving progress across the sustainable development goals – Spotlight Initiative represents an unprecedented global effort to address violence against women and girls at scale.
During its first phase (2017- 2023), Spotlight Initiative helped cohere the UN system to implement 34 programmes across five regions. This included two civil society grant-making programmes – established in collaboration with the UN Trust to End Violence against Women and the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund – which helped channel additional resources directly to civil society. By fostering a “One UN” approach under the leadership of the Resident Coordinators at the country level, Spotlight Initiative has leveraged various UN agencies’ complementary expertise, deepened collaboration, and streamlined operational processes, allowing for stronger programme delivery and better results for women and girls.
Through its deep partnerships at country and regional level – including with governments, civil society, faith-based and traditional leaders, academic institutions, media, the private sector, and others – Spotlight Initiative drove significant progress across response and prevention efforts. A strong commitment to meaningful engagement with civil society in particular, including local and grassroots organisations and feminist and women’s rights groups, has been central to the Initiative’s approach, as well. Under its first phase, nearly half of the Initiative’s activity funds were channeled directly to civil society, ensuring local ownership, buy-in, and sustainability of the Initiative's investments. At the global level, the Initiative forged a range of strategic partnerships, including with the Group of Friends, a coalition of 93 UN Member States advocating to end violence against women and girls, and the UN Foundation, which helped launch the WithHer Fund to channel more funding directly to local organizations.
Through its comprehensive approach – working to pass progressive laws and policies, strengthen institutions, deepen prevention programming, improve access to services, and generate data, and by centering partnerships – particularly with civil society – the Initiative has been shown to be 70% to 90% more effective at reducing the prevalence of violence against women and girls than siloed, single-pillar approaches. By aligning its interventions with national and local priorities, Spotlight Initiative works to deepen capacity, political will, and long-term commitment to ending violence against women and girls and advancing gender equality and women’s rights.
Areas of Focus
Unique to the Initiative is a whole-of-society approach that places ending violence against women and girls at the heart of national development priorities and supports local communities with the tools they need to address violence in their specific context. The model works by rolling out evidence-based interventions holistically: gender responsive laws and policies; strengthening institutions and data collection on VAWG; promoting gender-equitable attitudes and positive social norms, and providing quality services for survivors of violence and their families. It does this work in partnerships with government and, critically, with civil society - including particularly women's rights organisations – at every level, enhancing civic space and driving sustainable, transformative change.
Since its inception, the Spotlight Initiative has made significant strides in addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TF GBV).
View MoreSince its inception, the Spotlight Initiative has made significant strides in addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TF GBV). A key activity includes the development of a Digital Gender Violence virtual course in Argentina, as part of a broader initiative on comprehensive sexuality education. The Central Asia and Afghanistan Regional Programme hosted the Spotlight Digital Challenge, educating youth on the dual nature of technology, both as a tool to end violence and as a medium for perpetuating online violence. The Latin America Regional Programme, in partnership with the Behavioral Insights Team, explored the rise in online violence and cyberbullying during COVID-19 and utilized behavioral science to develop innovative strategies for addressing these issues. In Vanuatu, the Initiative partnered with the Internet Governance Forum to generate data on students’ experiences with online violence, and supported the development of a National Plan for Child Online Protection. In Zimbabwe, Spotlight supported the Data Protection Act, enacted in December 2021, which provides one of the most comprehensive legal frameworks in southern Africa to address online violence, including non-consensual image-based abuse.
The Initiative’s comprehensive approach involves collaborating across agencies and with donors to implement legal reforms, raise awareness, and build data-driven interventions. Additionally, Spotlight has hosted events such as the Unfollowing Misogyny session at the SVRI Forum and has recently been invited to contribute to the UNFPA Advisory Board on TFGBV, solidifying its role in global efforts to combat TF GBV.
Based on increasing reports from its grantee partners of cases of technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and in recognition of this growing threat, the UN Trust Fund introduced technology-facilitated violence against women (TFVAW) as a distinct form of violence for the f
View MoreBased on increasing reports from its grantee partners of cases of technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and in recognition of this growing threat, the UN Trust Fund introduced technology-facilitated violence against women (TFVAW) as a distinct form of violence for the first time in its 2023 Call for Proposals. A total of 239 applications were submitted, collectively requesting $121.6 million in funding — a clear reflection of both the scale of need and the growing demand for feminist, locally driven solutions.
One of the new partners awarded a grant in 2024 under the ACT Programme, the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, is strengthening feminist movements in Nigeria and Kenya by engaging younger women activists to address TFVAW.
To better understand this emerging trend, in 2024, the UN Trust Fund conducted a comprehensive analysis through a thematic survey of 29 grantee partners, a virtual café attracting over 90 experts, and dedicated discussions on its online hub, SHINE. The findings revealed that 88% of survey respondents reported encountering technology-facilitated violence in their work, and shed light on the realities that civil society and women’s rights organizations are navigating to address this rapidly evolving form of violence. The virtual café further demonstrated the global scope of the issue, with partners from Jordan to Mexico to Tajikistan, amongst others, voicing their concerns and observations on this trending issue.