THE Vurlon Mills Football Academy (VMFA) teamed up with the Spotlight Initiative (SI) as part of the SI’s overall goal to eliminate violence against women and girls. Coaches and staff of the VMFA participated in a Gender-based Violence (GBV) sensitisation session yesterday at the UN House, Duke Street, Kingston.
The European Union (EU) – United Nations (UN) Spotlight Initiative was conceptualised and developed out of an urgent need to engage in a global strategic plan to address the scourge of all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG).

In Guyana, 20 per cent of women have experienced non-partner sexual abuse in their lifetime and 1 in 2 women will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
According to statistics published by the Spotlight Initiative, which has a community-level focus within Regions 1, 4, 6, and 7 to address GBV and VAWG across six thematic areas of intervention: Legal and Policy Framework, Institutions, Prevention and Norm Change, Quality Services, Data and Women’s Movement.
Founder and CEO of the VMFA, Vurlon Mills, expressed his gratitude to the Spotlight Initiative for facilitating this very important session and said, “the knowledge gained will better equip the staff and coaches to work with children and we are now much more knowledgeable on GBV. The academy will continue to look for more opportunities to educate the staff, coaches and members of the academy.”

The session was coordinated by the Spotlight initiative and facilitated by Ms. Natalia Isava GBV – Project Officer with the UNFPA and Dr. Cona Husbands – Gender-based Violence Specialist/Manager (ag) Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit, Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.
The Vurlon Mills Football Academy operates at the Saints Ground, Carifesa Avenue and was established in 2019, with the motto “Practice winning every day”. The academy has successfully facilitated football and personal development sessions for hundreds of children between the ages of 3 – 17 years old.