A/HRC/38/3 E/CN.6/2018/9 doing so with a relatively modest investment of funds. Trust fund evaluations have shown that two key factors are central to successful initiatives: collaboration and local grass-roots involvement in developing projects. T he emphasis on funding projects rooted in local communities, coupled with the capacity-building provided to grantees by the trust fund, have contributed substantially to their overall impact and sustainability. The trust fund will continue to strengthen its support for small women’s organizations and to explore the potential of small grants. The emphasis on sustainability and impact is also leading the trust fund to consider longer -term grant periods in recognition of the time needed to bring about attitudi nal change. 59. The trust fund is keenly aware of its unique role and continues to explore new ways of expanding its collaboration with donors and partners to provide the necessary resources for the creative projects put forward each year. It will also lo ok to explore ways of contributing its expertise to wider initiatives, such as the joint United Nations and the European Union Spotlight Initiative on combating all forms of violence against women and girls, which was launched in September 2017 and is a we lcome step forward in continuing efforts to ensure that efforts to address violence against women and girls attract the resources needed. 60. Gender-based and sexual violence and the way they distort and restrict the life chances of women and girls around the world have received intense global attention in 2017. The challenge for all those working to change this reality is to translate this awareness into effective, sustainable change and, as the present report has shown, not only are grantees rising to that challenge, they are increasingly shaping the response and signalling how their initiatives can be scaled up and strengthened to move confidently towards a future free from violence for women and girls everywhere. The trust fund will continue to support the increasing confidence and mobilization of groups working for a future free of violence against women and girls everywhere. 16/16 17-22602