The main program of the European Union (EU) to eliminate violence against women failed and almost a third of the funding was allocated solely to the management of the initiative by the United Nations (UN), announced this Monday the European Court of Auditors.
According to a report published this Monday, the “Spotlight” initiative of the European Commission, in collaboration with the UN, “has little to show.”
The European Court of Auditors recognized that the €500 million funding is an “ambitious attempt” to ensure that “all women and girls can live free of violence.”
Despite finding “some positive results”, that European body concluded that the initiative has management problems and that “almost a third of the EU’s financing was managed by the UN.”
The money does not reach its recipients, the women and girls who are victims of violence.
Launched in 2017, this program focuses on Africa, Asia and other countries with higher percentages of episodes of violence or any type of discrimination against women.
The initiative had a longevity of four years, but was extended until the end of this year due to delays in its implementation.
The European Court of Auditors added in the report that the initiative had failed to attract investment from private donors and called on the EU to make better use of the funds and better manage the programme, otherwise it would jeopardize its viability.
The objectives were outlined when the initiative was launched, according to the European Court of Auditors, however, an analysis of the options for implementing it was missing.
The program’s “beneficiary needs” are identified, but there are “shortcomings in funding decisions and country selection” and, at the same time, with difficult implementation there were “limitations in monitoring and evaluation.”
The objective of the European Court of Auditors was to determine the effectiveness of the initiative and the way in which €497 million of EU funding was used, of which €465 million is managed by the United Nations in 26 countries.
“Its impact is still limited. The four years of the program are not enough to promote lasting change at a global level on a complex issue, which requires long-term actions and additional resources,” the court concluded.
Although it “produced achievements and benefited women and girls, it is difficult to assess whether the measure achieved the intended results.”
Looking to the future, the European Court of Auditors left some recommendations to the organization overseen by Ursula von der Leyen: carry out an “exhaustive analysis” of the options and concrete realities of each country; increase the proportion of funding reaching beneficiaries and assess cost-effectiveness.
Source: TSF
