Featuring

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director, UN Women

Stefano Manservisi, Director-General, International Cooperation and Development, European Commission

Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi and former Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Center for Global Development

Mayra Buvinic, Senior Fellow, Center for Global Development

Moderator

Rajesh Mirchandani, Vice President of Communications and Policy Outreach, Center for Global Development

One in three women around the world has experienced violence in their lifetime. It is the single most common form of violence in the world, but also one of the least analysed and discussed. Evidence shows that fighting violence against women not only addresses horrendous human rights violations and the negative impact on women’s lives and health, but also contributes to countries’ and societies’ sustainable economic, political and social development.

The EU and UN recently launched the Spotlight Initiative, including an initial allocation of Euro 500 million (more than half a billion US dollars) to fight violence against women and girls. How can the impact of this Fund be optimized? What does research and first-hand experience on the ground tell us about what works? And how can it inform policy and political dialogue aimed at eliminating violence against women and girls in all its forms, now and in future?