Girls in Niger – in support of a joint EU-UN initiative to combat violence against women. Ray of Light Initiative: No woman should live in fear Women
The joint UN-EU “Ray of Light” initiative to combat gender-based violence is producing “amazing” results. This was stated by the First Deputy UN Secretary General Amina Mohammed, presenting a report on the implementation of the Initiative from 2017 to 2023 on the sidelines of the High-Level Political Forum.
Positive statistics
According to her, during this time in 13 countries where the initiative is being implemented, the number of convicted rapists has doubled – 13 thousand people received punishment for such crimes.
The Spotlight Initiative is the world’s largest targeted campaign to end all forms of violence against women and girls by 2030. The Initiative is part of a multi-year global partnership between the European Union and the United Nations.
Combating Violence
Today Initiative Ray of Light is the work of country and regional programs around the world, including in Central Asia. Each program is structured around six components that define a single, holistic framework for ending all forms of violence against women and girls.
This approach includes addressing legislative and policy gaps and strengthening institutions , promoting gender-equitable norms, filling statistical gaps on gender-based violence, and strengthening the capacity of women’s networks and movements.
The regional program “Alliances for Change – Eliminating Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Harmful Practices in Central Asia” focuses on creating a regional Central Asian mechanism involving representatives of governments, civil society, gender equality activists, survivors, youth, men and religious leaders communities.
Eradicating violence is possible
“I stand here before you today to say that we will end violence against girls and women is not only necessary, but also possible,” said Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General.
A lot has been done over the past years. For example, through efforts including the Spotlight Initiative, a total of 548 laws and other policies have been passed or strengthened to end gender-based violence. About three million women received necessary services, six million boys and men attended educational courses on respect for family members, non-violent methods of conflict resolution and positive fatherhood.
“Violence against girls and women increases impoverishment and marginalization, and also directly affects physical, sexual, emotional and mental health,” said Amina Mohammed. “Girls who experience violence are more likely to drop out of school and lose opportunities to learn and build their future.”
“Ray of Light” and the SDGs
According to the speaker, the Initiative has significantly helped to advance the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. In this context, Mohammed congratulated the EU countries on their participation in the project and expressed gratitude to those who again joined it – Belgium and the USA.
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Despite all the achievements, much remains to be done, warned the UN Deputy Secretary-General. She encouraged other countries to invest in the Spotlight Initiative, emphasizing that their contributions would help save lives and transform entire communities. “With your support, we will bring the Initiative’s fund to a billion dollars,” she added.
“Together we can ensure that no woman in the world lives in an atmosphere of fear and darkness,” Amina Mohammed summed up her speech.