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Under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator (RC) and in line with the UN Reform, Spotlight Initiative leveraged UN agencies’ complementary expertise and streamlined backend processes to drive progress in efforts to end violence against women and girls. 

Across Spotlight programmes, UN Country Teams enhanced alignment, improved cost-effectiveness, and streamlined coordination by institutionalizing standing meetings, engaging in joint procurement, adopting the UN-wide Business Operations Strategy, and co-locating operations. These measures fostered more integrated programming and implementation, minimized duplication, and increased efficiency. 

The following examples highlight strengthened inter-agency collaboration across Spotlight programmes:

• In Samoa, the Resident Coordinator’s leadership fostered improved coordination among UN agencies, leveraging the agencies’ comparative advantages for strengthened programming to end violence against women and girls. As a result, the Initiative expanded its scope to better reach vulnerable populations, including the LGBTIQ+ community and persons living with disabilities. 
• Similarly, in Mozambique, under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator, the Initiative was able to successfully advocate for expanded reach to the conflict-affected province of Cabo Delgado. With improved coordination, Spotlight Initiative provided joint support to local government in Gaza and Manica. 
• In Mexico, the Resident Coordinator’s Office and Spotlight Initiative’s technical team streamlined inter-agency collaboration (to ensure more efficient delivery) and fostered constructive collaboration with key counterparts at the highest level of the Government, the EU Delegation, and the Civil Society Reference Group. Efficient inter-agency collaboration allowed the programme to more quickly identify risks, respond to challenges and deepen joint planning and joint interventions, improving coherence in programming. Through the complementary work of UN agencies under the Initiative, the programme was able to produce the “Statistical Framework for Measuring the Gender-Related Killing of Women and Girls (also referred to as ‘femicide/ feminicide’)”, which was approved in 2022 by the United Nations Statistical Commission. 
• In Haiti, challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, an earthquake in August 2021, and a deteriorating security situation required multiple changes to the programme’s work plan and budget. With robust coordination among UN agencies, the Spotlight programme in Haiti effectively adjusted its risk management arrangements to ensure the continuity of interventions. Leveraging partnerships allowed for swift collective action by the UN, government, and civil society partners, helping to prevent (and better respond to) a potential increase in cases of violence against women and girls in the context of multiple crises.
• In Trinidad and Tobago, the Initiative promoted strong collaboration between the programme management unit and UN Women (the technical coherence lead of the programme). A Technical Coherence Matrix was collectively developed to support all UN agencies implementing the programme in performing a pre-evaluation of nearly 60 deliverables to ensure alignment with Spotlight Initiative objectives and guidelines, and UN Principles, standards, and global human rights conventions. This included establishing criteria for joint assessments of Terms of Reference, consultancies, and procurement, enhancing coordination among agencies. As a result, the initiative improved programme coherence, streamlined delivery, and accelerated the ability of the UN agencies implementing the Spotlight programme in Trinidad and Tobago to collectively deliver in a more coordinated, efficient, and effective manner.
• In El Salvador, by capitalizing on various RUNO’s existing operational tools and mechanisms (including the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT)), the Initiative was better able to streamline operational and backend processes, including fund transfers to the Government and other partners (by using tools like the business operations strategy, long-term agreements and requests for quotation). This fostered stronger coordination with national counterparts, and as such, the Initiative was better positioned to ensure a whole-of-society approach across diverse implementing partners in El Salvador, better preventing and responding to violence against women and girls. Implementing Spotlight Initiative’s comprehensive model, and “Working as One UN” was particularly helpful in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the Initiative was able to more seamlessly collaborate across stakeholders to revise acceleration plans and ensure targeted support to women and girls in a rapidly changing context.

Since its inception, Spotlight Initiative has helped to develop or strengthen 548 new laws and policies addressing VAWG at national, regional, and local levels. Across Spotlight countries, progress has been made to ensure that survivors are protected through formal, informal, and traditional legal structures.  

Examples of legislative development achievements include the following: 

• Liberia: Spotlight Initiative, in collaboration with OHCHR and civil society organizations, successfully advocated for the passage of the Domestic Violence Law and the drafting of the Female Genital Mutilation Bill. Awareness-raising sessions with government officials at national and local levels improved knowledge of the laws and supported its implementation.  
• Zimbabwe: The Initiative supported the inclusion of online violence provisions in the Data Protection act, the first of its kind in the country. The Act now criminalizes the use of information and communications technology (ICTs) for violence against women and children, establishing clear codes of conduct to address technology-facilitated violence. Additionally, the Initiative supported the Zimbabwe Gender Commission in launching the first National Inquiry on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Vulnerable & Marginalized Groups, strengthening institutional accountability.   
• Niger: Spotlight Initiative supported traditional justice reform by engaging the Sultan of Tibiri to appoint the first-ever female advisors in a traditional court. One advisor specifically addresses cases of violence against women and girls, while the other focuses on ending child marriage and supporting girls’ education. This landmark initiative enhances survivor access to justice and reduces barriers to reporting violence.  

With the Initiative’s support, 50 countries strengthened their National Action Plans to eliminate violence against women and girls. National Action Plans can help ensure that policies are adequately funded and importantly implemented, leading to increased accountability, including in vulnerable and marginalized communities. Additionally, since Spotlight Initiative’s inception, 311 new sectoral strategies, plans, and programmes addressing VAWG have been developed across 13 countries. 

Examples of achievements in the development and implementation of policies to strengthen protections for women and girls include the following: 

• Malawi: Spotlight Initiative supported the development of the Gender and Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy in higher education. Adopted by 22 universities, the policy further institutionalizes response to sexual and gender-based violence and improves access to sexual and reproductive health and rights services in higher learning institutions. The policy outlines referral pathways available at individual institutions in cases of sexual assault or harassment, facilitates access to family planning and HIV services, and prohibits discrimination against women who are pregnant. 
• Zimbabwe: Similarly, Spotlight Initiative supported the development of the first-of-its-kind policy on combating sexual assault on college campuses across Zimbabwe. The policy provides a framework for higher education institutions to prevent and respond to cases of sexual violence, establishing reporting mechanisms and protections for survivors, and ensuring that institutional policies align with national laws on gender-based violence.
• Papua New Guinea: Working with policymakers and others, Spotlight Initiative supported the launch of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Gender-Based Violence, leading to the first-ever public inquiry into GBV in the country. This process provided a direct avenue for civil society to engage with policymakers and resulted in national funding and dedicated budgets to operationalize the National GBV Secretariat. The inquiry also marked the first instance where the police and justice sector had to formally answer for inaction and impunity in GBV cases. 
• Philippines: Spotlight Initiative Safe and Fair programme supported the development of the Department of Migrant Workers Act (Republic Act No.11641 in the Philippines). The Act establishes a new department to regulate the recruitment and service provision of overseas migrant workers, regardless of their legal status, and provides reintegration and skills development for returning migrant workers. Importantly, the Act designates that gender focal points–with a specific remit to focus on ending violence against women and girls–be instituted in Philippine missions abroad, representing the first time a major labour migration law in the Philippines includes a specific provision to address violence against women and girls (regardless of the survivors’ legal status). 
• Niger: In 2021, Spotlight Initiative engaged National Assembly deputies in capacity-building on gender budgeting and gender mainstreaming. This led to a parliamentary resolution ensuring that gender is systematically considered in national plans, budgets, and policies.
• Guyana: The Initiative supported the development of a new Family Violence Bill, which replaces the outdated Domestic Violence Act and significantly improves support for survivors through a more robust, survivor-centred response. A new harassment bill is also in development. 

As a result of the Initiative's contributions (noted above, and across its programmes): 

• Governments are increasingly allocating resources to address VAWG, ensuring that commitments translate into tangible action. 
• Institutions now have clearer mandates, protocols, and accountability mechanisms, improving response systems and survivor support. 
• Survivors of violence have greater access to justice, protection, and essential services, particularly in higher-risk environments such as campuses, workplaces, and informal sectors. 
• Civil society organizations and local actors are more empowered to advocate for systemic change, leading to stronger, community-driven approaches to VAWG prevention. 

By investing in and strengthening policy frameworks, the Initiative helped expand protections for women and girls and further institutionalize efforts to prevent and respond to VAWG into national and local governance structures. Cross-sectoral, well-resource commitments to end violence helps to ensure progress continues long after direct programme support concludes.  

OHCHR contributed to the elaboration of a global support system for the monitoring and reporting arrangements on sexual violence in conflict (MARA) with UN ACTION. 

OHCHR is developing a Regional Protocol to provide practical tools for public prosecutors, forensic experts and others, to guide their investigations into violent deaths of LGBTIQ+ people in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

To mark the 75th anniversary of the Declaration on Human Rights, OHCHR launched a campaign to encourage meaningful actions by Member States, with the dedicated aim to show commitment towards improving communities, nations, everyone’s human rights. As a result, 56 States have pledged on women’s rights and gender equality, with a strong focus on the elimination of gender-based violence.

 The United Nations Statistics Division continues to serve as the Secretariat of the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Gender Statistics (IAEG-GS). Since 2006, the group has met annually to assess progress and explore strategies to enhance gender statistics, including data on violence against women, at national and global levels. Each meeting reviews achievements, identifies challenges and gaps, and provides guidance on future efforts to advance gender statistics. For more information on past meetings, please see: https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/meetings/?Topic=gender 

UNSD also is part of the WHO technical group for new estimates on partner and non-partner VAW 

On 28 November 2024, FAO hosted a session under the UNiTE Campaign during the 16 Days of Activism against GBV, organized in collaboration with UN Women and local feminist organizations in crisis-affected countries, titled "Global Crises and Gender-Based Violence". The event focused on how global crises, including conflicts, economic hardship and climate change, disproportionately affect women and girls, increasing their vulnerability to GBV and food insecurity. This session called for urgent humanitarian action to address gender inequalities and the root causes of GBV, highlighting the importance of rapid gender assessments (RGAs) in guiding interventions and empowering women in crisis settings.

In 2022, FAO published the Practical guide on how to eliminate gender-based violence and protect rural communities through food security and agriculture interventions. This guide is designed to support country offices, FAO staff and strategic partners in the fight against any form of gender-based violence, facilitate the integration of protection issues in an FAO project cycle, and support the collection and analysis of data disaggregated by sex and other social variables for generating the evidence for policy-making and planning of gender-responsive and gender-transformative interventions. It provides the needed tools and promising approaches and experiences of the last decade used successfully to address GBV and eliminate protection risks in the field.  

IOM participates in the IASC Gender Reference Group (GRG), including providing contributions for the development of the new IASC policy on gender equality and empowerment of women, and associated accountability framework during 2023 and 2024. 

IOM is a key and active Core member of the GBV AoR and an active member of the GBV Guidelines Reference Group, contributing to tool development, capacity building, and resource provision to strengthen collective efforts on GBV risk mitigation, prevention and response.  

As the co-chair of the Call-to-Action International Organization Working Group (IOWG) alongside UNHCR, IOM continued to advocate for GBV financing and contributed to initiatives engaging over 100 entities committed to strengthening accountability for GBV in emergencies. As a key commitment under the networks workplan, IOM co led the development of a mapping of existing GBV coordination mechanisms across the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus. IOM also represents the network in the UN Trust Fund mechanism to ensure alinement between the complimentary work on mapping funding barriers for Women led organizations. 

As a member of the UN Transitional Justice Task Force, chaired by the OHCHR, IOM is contributing to promotion and strengthening of tools for redressing victims of grave human rights violations, including survivors of CRSV.    

As one of the 2023-2024 ICAT co-chairs, IOM has committed to leading the development of an Issue Brief on Trafficking in Persons and Gender-Based Violence. This effort will be carried out through 2025.