The Spotlight Program is a global initiative of the European Union and the United Nations committed to eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls. Launched in September 2017, it aims to support Niger's efforts in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) and is thus a new way to achieve the 2030 Agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For Africa, 250 million euros are released for the four years in the first phase of implementation.

The initiative involves 8 countries, namely: Nigeria, Liberia, Niger, Malawi, Mali, Uganda, Zambia, and Mozambique. In Niger, for the first phase 2019-2020, actions are concentrated in 300 villages in the four regions with the highest prevalence rates of Gender Based Violence (GBV), namely, the regions of Maradi, Tahoua, Tillabéry and Zinder.

Leaving No One Behind

Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent, and devastating human rights violations in the world. Also known as gender-based violence, it is a major obstacle to the fulfillment of women's and girls' rights and to the achievement of the United Nations' sustainable development goals.

The choice of Niger responds to the will of the authorities and key partners, particularly civil society and women's movements, to improve the situation of women in accordance with the National Strategy for the Prevention and Response to GBV in Niger (2017-2021). Through actions led by the United Nations (UNDP, UN Women, UNFPA and UNICEF) and the Ministry of Women's Promotion and Child Protection, the Spotlight Initiative is a new way to achieve gender equality through the complementarity of actors in the search for sustainable solutions in an integrated and coordinated way.

Relevance of the “Economic Reintegration” component

The Spotlight initiative is deployed through four windows: Medical, Psychosocial, Legal Clinic and Socio-economic reintegration. The context of COVID-19 has confirmed the relevance of the "Economic Rehabilitation" window, for which UNCDF is responsible through a partnership with UNDP.
This collaboration between UNDP and UNCDF is based on UNCDF's proven expertise in the deployment of innovative and sustainable financing instruments and tools that can facilitate the implementation of socio-economic reintegration activities for women and girl victims of gender-based violence.

The originality of UNCDF's participation consisted in relying on the mandate of local authorities, the importance of women's participation in local economic development and the relevance of the ownership of public and private investments with the participation of local populations, leaving no one behind.

The first phase involved 22 communes located in the 4 target regions and consisted in adopting an operational approach by carrying out the following activities:

• Framing meeting with all regional and local stakeholders
• Identification of GBV victims
• Setting up the implementation mechanism: the municipalities, which oversee the investments, the service providers who ensure the training and the allocation of IGA ("income-generating activities") kits to eligible and consenting survivors and the decentralized technical services of the government (STD).
• Accompanying the local authorities in the selection of investment priorities
• Support and training in financial management
• Support for the organization of groups of victims to lead them towards social reintegration through work
• Support for the implementation of gender-sensitive infrastructure and equipment (GSIE) that considerably reduces women's workload and generates income for victims
• Capacity building of local actors through the implementation of investments initiated and managed by women
• Knowledge management and strategy of the financing approach
• Quality control of external services, accompaniment of STDs in training and support to municipalities in the implementation of investments and guidance to beneficiaries.

Satisfying and promising results

UNCDF, thanks to the activities carried out, in collaboration with local authorities and service providers, was able to promote inclusive and resilient local economic development for GBV victims, especially women and girls, in the most vulnerable areas. Among the concrete achievements, we can mention several communal investments, including 16 multifunctional platforms installed in 16 villages, which led to the socio-economic reintegration of 400 vulnerable women who were trained in community life and management.

The IGA kits were also very important, with the distribution of animal and agricultural product processing kits to 600 women. They also received training in community life and financial education.

The benefits are multiple. Indeed, the Multi-Functional Platforms reduce the burden of certain chores for women and provide them with additional income. They also promote the development of agricultural production and economic diversification. The training provided strengthens the human and management capacities of the beneficiaries. The IGA kits are also an excellent way for victims to rebuild their lives by accessing income to meet their basic needs (schooling, health, food, etc.).

Furthermore, working through local authorities allows this approach to be integrated into local planning and territorial governance. This ensures that the needs of women, especially the most vulnerable, are considered.

This opens the way to social and economic empowerment by refusing stigmatization and improving their living conditions. Thus, the expansion of the program to other communes is necessary in order to reach the maximum number of women survivors.