If we want to eradicate SRGBV, we first need to understand the nature of this issue and get a better sense of its scale in different contexts. Only then we will be able to effectively call on policymakers to implement policy and programmatic changes that ensure school environments are free from violence.
All children deserve the opportunity to live free from the threat of violence. This goal couldn’t be more critical for African nations. Africa has the largest youth demographic of any continent, and by 2030, young Africans are expected to make up 42% of the world’s youth.
We must change the record of youth exclusion at the highest levels of decision-making. The first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children set itself to include youth in its agenda and political declaration. Now, we must ensure that youth voices, expertise, and solutions are heard in keeping governments accountable for their pledges.
Ahead of the Global Ministerial Conference, we want to highlight the work of three countries in Latin America that have the potential to make key pledges that can make a difference in the lives of millions of children.
Survivor councils are more than advisory panels. They are the compass guiding the direction of policy, ensuring that reforms are not just well-intentioned but rooted in the realities of those affected. It’s time to stop seeing survivors of childhood sexual violence as the aftermath and start seeing them as the architects of a new future, where very child is protected, free from violence, and thriving.
Safe to Learn’s calls to action and tools have helped governments around the world identify the steps they must take to prevent and address violence in and around schools. Now, it’s their turn to ensure schools are environments where children are safe to learn, develop, and thrive.
As we work towards ending violence against children, we must acknowledge that digital technology is an integral part of children’s everyday lives, with both unprecedented opportunities but also risks of harm.
To ensure the continued leadership and influence of the U.S. in the prevention of and response to violence against children globally, we are requesting at least $10million in funding to support VACS directed by CDC to meet the demand across a more comprehensive geographic range of implementation relevant to U.S. foreign assistance priorities.
Child marriage has devastating consequences for children, particularly for girls. Burkina Faso has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with more than one in two girls married before the age of 18, and 10% married before age 15.
With six weeks to go until the first ever global Ministerial on ending violence against children we are at a tipping point to protect the 1 billion children who experience violence every year.
Young people don’t just want to be sources for data sets or people who need protection. We also deserve agency over our own data and experience and want to be an active part of global efforts to end SRGBV.
Our challenges may be greater than ever, but so is our ability to organize and cooperate. At this moment, we must be brave so children can be safe.
Addressing violence against children requires a comprehensive approach that involves prevention and supportive measures to prevent these cycles of violence.
The consequences of violence against children are felt not only by those who experience it directly but by entire communities and societies. That is why we need a united, global, response to violence against children.
We are 100 days away from the first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children. The time is now to make a difference in the lives of children worldwide.
Inclusive pedagogy is essential to challenge and shift the power hierarchies that have traditionally determined who gets to ask research questions and who only gets to answer them.