Monrovia, Liberia — May 25, 2026 — UN Women Liberia, alongside partners HOPE Liberia and Youth Crime Watch Liberia (YCWL), convened the Spotlight Initiative 2.0 Women’s Economic Empowerment Inception Meeting at the One UN House in Monrovia. The gathering brought together government representatives, civil society organizations, private sector partners, and development agencies to strengthen collective action toward women’s empowerment and the prevention of sexual and gender‑based violence (SGBV).
Supported by the European Union, Spotlight Initiative 2.0 builds on lessons from the first phase (2019–2023), which showed that providing viable economic alternatives is critical to reducing vulnerability to violence. The new phase integrates skills training, access to finance, cooperative development, market linkages, and digital literacy to empower women and girls, particularly survivors of violence, former FGM practitioners, and women with disabilities across Liberia’s eight Spotlight counties.
The inception meeting emphasized transparent beneficiary selection, inclusive implementation, and alignment with national priorities. UN Women Liberia Deputy Country Representative Yemi Falayajo highlighted the importance of shared ownership and coordination, stressing the principle of Leave No One Behind.
Through this initiative, women and girls will gain access to market‑driven skills in agriculture, crafts, digital entrepreneurship, cross‑border trade, financial literacy, and Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs). These interventions aim to strengthen economic resilience while contributing to violence prevention and social norm change.
By fostering partnerships among government institutions, civil society, the private sector, and communities, Spotlight Initiative 2.0 seeks to create safer, more inclusive environments where every woman and girl in Liberia can thrive with dignity, opportunity, and freedom from violence.
