Spotlight Initiative Goes Live

Whether at home, on the streets, or during war, violence against women and girls is a human rights violation of pandemic proportions that takes place in public and private spaces. In a world where even ordinary stress on the job or at school can seem battering at times, and outside influences are in constant flux; home and family are expected to remain steady and serene. Unfortunately for many, home can be anything but a safe haven. Men and women alike may find their home a fierce battleground. For children, it may be where they are most vulnerable to assault, misuse, or deprivation, ironically at the very hands of those who have a duty to safeguard and nourish them.

Decades of mobilization by civil society and women’s movements have put ending gender-based violence and family violence high on national and international agendas. An unprecedented number of countries have laws against domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of violence. Challenges remain however in implementing these laws, limiting women's and girls’ access to safety and justice as not enough is done to prevent violence, and when it does occur, it often goes unpunished.

The Spotlight Initiative, a global multi-year initiative launched by the European Union and the United Nations to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG), was launched in collaboration with the government of Belize  on August 19th, 2020 broadcast nationally and streamed platforms on television, radio and social media. This initiative galvanizes political commitment at the highest levels and contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal 5 on gender equality, fully integrating the principle of “leaving no one behind”.

In his keynote address, Prime Minister of Belize Hon. Dean Barrow said: “Ultimately, eliminating gender-based violence in our society is an undertaking that requires the commitment of each and every citizen, including, and perhaps especially men. After all, men are by far, the majority perpetrators. They, therefore, have a pivotal role to play in the dismantling of organic and socialized behavior that lies at the core of the particular cancer that is gender-based violence. In this regard, there is undoubtedly far too much work left to do. That is why we are extremely pleased to be a part of the global Spotlight Initiative, the world's largest targeted effort to end all forms of violence against women and girls. It is an initiative that comes, not a moment too soon, and will provide funding and technical assistance for several of the activities enshrined, in our national plans. So today, on behalf of the people of Belize, I express appreciation to the European Union and the United Nations for their work in helping to chart this newly expanded course. It sets the stage for a global leadership called arms for redoubled unity efforts against this blot on our civilization. The right to live free from violence is a basic inalienable human right. And it is one that cannot continue to be denied any longer to any person anywhere on this earth.”

Particularly in Belize, the Spotlight Initiative seeks to contribute to ending family violence by strengthening policy and legislations that will guarantee increased protection of women and girls, building the capacity of state and non-state actors to respond to family violence, expanding the range of services available, and addressing social norms and behaviors that promote violence against women and girls. The “Spotlight Initiative Goes Live” event was a virtual broadcasting event that surely proved to be an innovative tool to connect large, diverse audiences across Belize and the globe with an estimated 300,000 persons reached, as we turned a video broadcast into a conservation. One that must be had and propelled to let the world know we are #WithHer.