To address the global challenges of Violence against Women and Girls, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations have partnered on a new multi-year programmed, the #SpotlightInitiative (SI).

The Spotlight Initiative aims to support transformative change on the ground to end violence against women and girls. The overall vision of the Spotlight Initiative in Timor-Leste is that women and girls enjoy their right to a life free of violence, within an inclusive and gender equitable.

The programme is aligned to the Timor-Leste “National Action Plan on Gender-based violence ( two thousand seventeen till  two thousand twenty one) and National Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Roadmap, particularly on SDGs five and sixteen. It will contribute to the National Strategic Development Plan and reinforce Timor-Leste’s Development Plan and reinforce Timor-Leste’s implementation of commitments under the Beijing Platform for Action, the Concluding Observations of The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women – CEDAW Committee, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, among other international obligations.

The program was globally launched in 2017 and began implementation in Timor-Leste in 2020, are five UN agencies participating in the Timor-Leste Spotlight Initiative, such as the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the International Labor Organization (ILO). The Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) provides overall strategic oversight and coordination for the Spotlight Initiative within the UN, with UN Women acting as the Technical Lead.

In 2021, with support financial from the European Union and the United Nations, Alola has engaged with Ministry of Education under UN Women supervision and technical support to “implement programming on Connect with Respect(CWR) and Gender-Responsive Positive Parenting in 3 municipalities such as Bobonaro, Ermera and Viqueque.

Alola and Mane ho Vizaun Foun  have implemented several activities, such as: the Connect with Respect project orientation to the Minister of Education at the national and municipalities levels, local authorities (President of Authorities of Municipalities, President of Administrative posts Sub District Village chief), relevant partners; identified members of Connect With respect Reference Group; Completed designing Terms of Reference for Reference Group; Conducted Parenting session  training  to four hundred and fifty four parents of students; Conducted ToT to 30 teachers form 15 schools,  conducted impact assessment  for the parenting training session through the focus group discussions and interviews with direct and beneficiaries and conducted Reflection Workshop on CWR in Dili