Spotlight+ Initiative: Promotion of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls

This project aims to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls by combating sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the southern northern and central regions of Mali including Gao Timbuktu Mopti Segou and Bamako regions. Specifically it works to help to remove barriers that prevent access to comprehensive and quality sexual and reproductive health services by strengthening women's and girls' capacities to provide strong leadership and decision-making power for their health and by helping to change the attitudes and behaviours of leaders and communities in favour of respect for gender equality and sexual and reproductive rights. It targets more than 500 000 women and girls 50 women's organizations in these regions and is expected to reach a total of 2 500 000 adolescents and youth.

The expected results for this project include: 1) increased access to holistic and quality support services by women and girls survivors of SGBV; 2) improved capacities of providers of obstetrical and neonatal care to offer quality services that take into account the rights and needs of women and girl; 3) improved access of adolescent girls to complete sexual and reproductive health services that take into account their rights and needs including family planning and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases; 4) increased capacities of women and girls to provide a strong leadership and to participate in decision making related to their sexual and reproductive health and rights; and 5) improved attitudes and strengthened capacities of religious and traditional leaders in particular of men's and boys in regards to the respect of gender equality and women and adolescent girls' sexual and reproductive rights.