The Spotlight Initiative takes on further urgency in the global COVID-19 pandemic. Women and children who live with family/domestic violence have no escape from their abusers during quarantine, may be isolated and do not have ready access to protective services and resources. In many countries, increases in incidences of domestic or family violence are being reported, including in Trinidad and Tobago for which there is some data available.[1] There is an increasing attention to this gendered dimension of the COVID crisis and the Spotlight Initiative supports the integration of GBV prevention across the regional approaches to COVID prevention and response and ensure continued access to sexual and reproductive health services.
The Regional Spotlight Initiative has identified four (4) pillars of programming: i) working to ensure institutions are gender-responsive; ii) establishing comprehensive and evidence based prevention programmes aimed at changing social norms and gender stereotypes; iii) promoting the collection and use of quality, comparable data to inform public policy, advocacy, policy making, and delivery of complimentary services to improve prevention; and iv) supporting autonomous women’s movements to influence, and monitor policy and to ensure accountability.
The SRHR Observatory as an output of the broader Spotlight Initiative will specifically contribute to the achievement of Output 3.2: Advocacy platforms are established/strengthened to develop strategies and programmes,[2] including community dialogues, public information and advocacy campaigns, to promote gender-equitable norms, attitudes and behaviours, including in relation to women and girls’ sexuality and reproduction, self-confidence and self-esteem and transforming harmful masculinities.
| Outcome 3: Gender equitable social norms, attitudes and behaviours change at community and individual levels to prevent violence against women and girls, including family violence | ||
| Output 3.1: Regional and national evidence-based programmes are developed to promote gender-equitable norms, attitudes and behaviours, including on Comprehensive Sexuality Education in line with international standards, for in and out of school settings
|
Output 3.2: Advocacy platforms are established/ strengthened to develop strategies and programmes,[3] including community dialogues, public information and advocacy campaigns, to promote gender-equitable norms, attitudes and behaviours, including in relation to women and girls’ sexuality and reproduction, self-confidence and self-esteem and transforming harmful masculinities. | Output 3.3 : Decision makers in relevant non-state institutions[4] and key informal decision makers[5] are better able to advocate for implementation of legislation and policies on ending VAWG, including family violence, and for gender-equitable norms, attitudes and behaviours and women and girls’ rights |
It also contributes to the realisation of Output 5.2: Quality prevalence and/or incidence data on family violence, is analysed and made publicly available, and relevant data used for the monitoring and reporting of the SDG target 5.2 indicators to inform evidence-based decision making.
| Outcome 5: Quality, disaggregated and globally comparable data on different forms of VAWG, including family violence, is collected, analysed and used in line with international standards to inform laws, policies and programmes | |
| Output 5.1: Key partners, including relevant statistical officers, service providers and responders in the different branches of government, and women’s rights advocates and women rights organisations have strengthened capacities to regularly collect data related to family violence, in line with international and regional standards to inform laws, policies and programmes.
|
Output 5.2: Quality prevalence and/or incidence data on family violence, is analysed and made publicly available, and relevant data used for the monitoring and reporting of the SDG target 5.2 indicators to inform evidence-based decision making.
|
[1] Police data shows that in March 2020 there were 96 assaults by beatings compared to 42 in March 2019.
[2] Including informing parenting skills around gender socialisation through early childhood development programmes
[3] Including informing parenting skills around gender socialisation through early childhood development programmes
[4]Including the media, sports, workplaces
[5] Will differ from region to region and includes decision makers from informal institutions, e.g. traditional, religious and community leaders