Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today.
It is a major obstacle to the fulfilment of women’s and girls’ human rights and to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It occurs worldwide, cutting across all generations, nationalities, communities and spheres of our societies, irrespective of age, ethnicity, disability or other background.
The Spotlight Initiative
The European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) are embarking on a new, global, multi-year initiative focused on eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG) – the Spotlight Initiative.
The Initiative is so named as it brings focused attention to this issue, moving it into the spotlight and placing it at the centre of efforts to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Spotlight Initiative will respond to all forms of VAWG, with a particular focus on domestic and family violence, sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices, femicide, trafficking in human beings and sexual and economic (labour) exploitation. In line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Initiative will fully integrate the principle of ‘leaving no one behind’.
Other Resources
Related News
Report: Majority of trafficking victims are women and girls; one-third children
“Trafficking for sexual exploitation and for forced labour remain the most prominently detected forms, but victims are also being trafficked to be used as beggars, for forced or sham marriages, benefit fraud, or production of pornography,” said UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov.
Related Videos
UN warns of rising deportations of Haitian mothers and newborns from Dominican Republic
The UN has raised concern over a growing number of [...]
Climate change: How mountain communities are scaling new heights
Low-lying islands aren’t the only ones at risk from our [...]
AI lightens the workload – but risks remain, labour agency warns
Artificial intelligence, robotics, and digitalization are rapidly reshaping how we work – but they’re a source of unexpected risks too.