UNRC Antje Grawe's Statement at the Spotlight Initiative Country Programme Closing Event: "Inspire Continued Action and Collaboration to End Gender-Based Violence".

Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Edil Baisalov,

EU Ambassador Marilyn Josefson,

Distinguished Members of Parliament,

Excellencies,

Partners,

Colleagues—representatives and Heads of entities of the United Nations System in the Kyrgyz Republic,

Esteemed Spotlight Initiative implementing partners—champions of the gender equality agenda, and direct Spotlight Program beneficiaries,

It is a distinct pleasure to welcome you all here today, on behalf of the UN system in Kyrgyzstan on the occasion of the Spotlight Initiative Programme closure.

We launched the Spotlight Initiative in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when gender-based violence surged by 65 percent in the Kyrgyz Republic compared to 2019 in reported cases. The program emerged as a vital response to a crisis deeply rooted in systemic inequality and exacerbated during the pandemic.

It began not as an easy venture but as an imperative one – the multitude of challenges included gaps in legislative enforcement, limited resource allocation, huge room for improvement in monitoring and evaluation, the need for enhanced coordination among stakeholders, the imperative for consistent, high-quality service provision to survivors of any form of gender-based violence, and social norms requiring long term efforts.

The Spotlight Initiative has demonstrated that when all stakeholders collaborate, and channel their expertise and passion into actionable steps, meaningful change can be effected. This applies to State institutions as much as to the UN system and civil society, non-governmental organizations and survivor groups:

• 25,000 people, of whom over 15,000 are women and girls, have been engaged or directly benefited from the Spotlight Initiative Programme.

• The Programme has significantly contributed to creating an enabling policy and legal environment to eventually eliminate gender-based violence. This was particularly evident in policy support for the Gender Equality Strategy, and in the review of key Laws related to the detention of domestic violence suspects, the provision of free legal aid, and alimony through the lens of international standards and anti-discrimination.

• Substantial efforts were made to improve GBV statistical data collection and dissemination.

• Since all sectors have roles to play in addressing Violence Against Women and Girls (e.g., health, social services, education, justice, security, culture), the Spotlight Programme focused on strengthening inter-sectoral mechanisms and practices at the national and the sub-national level.

• Local administrations and local committees on the prevention of domestic violence played a crucial role in initiating 12 local and national dialogues challenging harmful social norms and learning new strategies how to prevent GBV differently.

• The Programme strove to strengthen the capacity of service providers – social workers and case managers from Family and Child Support departments of the Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Migration, law enforcement officers of the Ministry of Interior, representatives of the municipal committees for prevention of domestic violence, crisis centers and office of the Ombudsperson on Children’s rights - and ensure essential services were available, accessible, and of high quality, aligned with international human rights standards and guidelines.

• A novelty in Kyrgyzstan was the prioritization of a human rights-based and survivor-centric approach through which the Programme also integrated the voices and experiences of survivors of GBV in the design of activities. This has led to a number of critical amendments to the Law on protection and safeguarding from domestic violence (e.g. increased days of detention of perpetrators, mandatory correctional program), improved standard operating procedures, and different ways of providing support to survivors.

• Last but not least, the elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls is unattainable without the active engagement of a strong civil society and autonomous women’s movements. Over 60 NGOs became implementing partners of the Spotlight Initiative, empowering independent, women-led, and women's rights organizations to exercise their expertise. The Programme has established new avenues for civil society engagement through national and local fora on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment, where women leaders from diverse sectors discussed political participation, economic empowerment, and challenges in the eliminating GBV, collaboratively outlining strategies for action.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The work cannot stop here. To the contrary. The number of reported cases is on the rise, with painful costs for survivors, their families, communities and the society and economy at large. The fight against gender-based violence is not one that can be won in a limited timeframe; it requires the steadfast commitment of each member of society, from a whole range of institutions to individual homes. And it requires the support from Kyrgyzstan’s friends and development partners so to: 

• Continue promoting legislative reform to address discriminatory laws against women and girls;
• Ensure adequate budget allocations for implementing the National Gender Equality Strategy and local action plans and communities’ initiatives on prevention of family violence;
• Further institutionalize capacity-building interventions, such as anchoring them into academic curricula, professional training, and human resource procedures;
• Further strengthen service providers which are so crucial for survivors to find legal, medical and psychological support so often painstakenly needed

…to mention just a few areas which require sustained support.

Most importantly, to sustain the achievements reached, highest level of political ownership and attention is required. I am pleased to see the attention paid to the elimination of this scourge as demonstrated by the endorsement of the Gender Equality Strategy and important legislative acts, among other.

Edil, your leadership has been instrumental throughout this period.

Distinguished partners,

The Spotlight Initiative was also designed as a tool to deliver the UN Development System Reforms on the ground, and its success is attributable to the coordinated and joint efforts of five responsible UN agencies— UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNODC and UN-Women, and three associated UN agencies (IOM, OHCHR, WHO) —each leveraging its unique expertise to promote a multi-sectoral and participatory approach across six pillars and creating synergies and efficiencies through joint efforts.

Our holistic, human-rights based approach supported progress across education, sexual and reproductive health, women’s economic empowerment and the rights of those traditionally left behind.

As many of you are aware, the world is gearing up for the SDG Summit to be held this September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The SDG Summit aims to mobilize support, leadership, and investment to accelerate progress on high-impact SDG initiatives at the country level.

We can all take pride in the fact that the Spotlight Initiative was selected from more than 120 applications as one of 12 high-impact initiatives for further upscaling.

This recognition testifies that the Spotlight Initiative has proven not only that the elimination of violence against women and girls is achievable but also that we already possess the requisite tools to scale up solutions.

The UN is exploring various funding streams for future programmatic investments in Kyrgyzstan. Plans are in motion for the next generation of Spotlight programming, building on the successes and lessons learned from the current cycle.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Before I conclude, allow me to emphasize that we cannot celebrate our achievements without acknowledging each and every one of you for your remarkable contributions to the Spotlight Initiative.

Each of you, whether a policymaker, a community leader, an activist, or a concerned citizen, has been a beacon of change. You have dared to illuminate the darkest corners of prejudice, inequality, and violence. You have championed new laws, strengthened institutions, and empowered survivors in an hour of need.

This all, however, would not have been possible without the generous support from the European Union which has funded the EU-UN Spotlight initiative globally, and in Kyrgyzstan, generously and provided relevant guidance and political support throughout. I wish to thank Ambassador Josefson and her team from the EU Delegation for this steadfast support.

Chon Rakhmat.