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

• Mali (100.00%)

• Population policy and administrative management:
Population policy and administrative management (13010) (20.00%)
Reproductive health care (13020) (30.00%)
Family planning (13030) (20.00%)
Personnel development for population and reproductive health (13081) (15.00%)
• Government And Civil Society, General: Ending violence against women and girls (15180) (15.00%)

• Gender equality (principal objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Nutrition (significant objective)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

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.

Results achieved as of March 2024 include: (1) set up 4 care units for victims of gender-based violence to ensure the care of 14,264 survivors; (2) mobile clinics carried out 70 outings and referred 391 at-risk pregnant women for further follow-up; (3) handed over 38 motorcycle ambulances to health centers to reduce the first delay in the care of pregnant women; (4) trained 1,117 health personnel and 17,526 new users adopted a contraceptive method; (5) provided surgical management kits to 7 health establishments; (6) provided equipment for emergency obstetric and neonatal care to 75 community health centers; and (7) organized safe space activities for 12,721 girls and boys. They represent places that offer them opportunities to contribute to decision-making.

• Proactive disclosure