New York, 19 September 2023 — A transformation in the response to ending childhood sexual violence (CSV) has been unveiled today at the Clinton Global Initiative Meeting 2023.
The launch of the Safe Futures Hub - which will unite a new global diversity of partners committed to defeating CSV - was announced by Together for Girls CEO and President Dr. Daniela Ligiero, at the event in New York.
A collaboration between Together for Girls, WeProtect Global Alliance and the Sexual Violence Research Initiative - thanks to the support of the Oak Foundation - Safe Futures will be an open space uniting all those around the world working to create a safer future for children, including advocates, strategists, policymakers, frontline workers and youth voices.
Crucially, it is designed to include underrepresented perspectives, often absent in the past. Safe Futures will work in partnership, leveraging multiple forms of knowledge including firsthand experiences from the field, lived experience, academic research and data. This deliberate diversity is designed to generate new insights, catalyze original discussions and ignite actionable solutions.
Safe Futures was announced as a 2023 Commitment to Action at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), in recognition of the global scale and magnitude of childhood sexual violence and the need for urgent multisectoral action to address it.
Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton joined Gary Cohen, Founder and Board Chair of Together for Girls, and Dr. Ligiero to offer CGI support. This is not the first time that Together for Girls has made an official Commitment to Action. In 2009 Gary Cohen joined President Bill Clinton to announce a new "Partnership to Address Sexual Violence Against Girls," which became Together for Girls.
At the launch of the Safe Futures Hub, Dr. Ligiero said: “As a global problem, childhood sexual violence requires a global solution. The Safe Futures Hub has immense power to unite diverse stakeholders in a collaborative effort to share evidence that can help prevent and eradicate this issue. It’s entirely fitting that Safe Futures should be unveiled here in New York at the Clinton Global Initiative, which brings together global partners dedicated to solving the world’s most pressing challenges.”
Iain Drennan, Executive Director of WeProtect Global Alliance said of the importance of the Safe Futures Hub for the Violence Against Children (VAC) space: “With digital connectivity increasing around the world, it is more important than ever to collaborate to ensure children can enjoy all the benefits and opportunities of the online world without fear of sexual violence.”
Elizabeth Dartnall, Executive Director of SVRI highlighted one of the contributions that the Hub will make: “We want to work with more people, consider more approaches, and catalyze more innovation to end this horrific and complex issue. We know we cannot do it alone, and we know we must act in diverse partnership. The Safe Futures Hub is an effort to elevate knowledge and evidence production driven by the needs of violence against children prevention stakeholders, especially those in low- and middle-income countries.”
Nicolas Makharashvili, Executive Director of the Safe Futures Hub said: "As we launch the Safe Futures Hub, It's crucial to recognize that childhood sexual violence is a preventable public health challenge, and we are resolute in our efforts to address it. Through the Safe Futures Hub, we wield immense power to foster collaboration, innovation, and meaningful change by tapping into the collective insights of communities and stakeholders across the globe. Our commitment remains steadfast—to ensure that knowledge, tools, and solutions are not only shared but also actively put into action, transforming our shared vision into a living reality."
Learn more about Safe Futures by visiting safefutureshub.org.
About Together for Girls
Ending violence against children cannot be solved by a single actor or sector alone. Together for Girls is a global partnership working to end sexual violence against children and adolescents. Active in over 20 countries, Together for Girls unites actors that often do not work together, including national governments, United Nations entities, the private sector, civil society, and survivors. Through data and advocacy, Together for Girls drives action to break cycles of violence and ensure prevention, healing, and justice.
About the Sexual Violence Research Initiative
The Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) is the world’s largest network on research on violence against women and violence against children, providing a space where global role players in the field connect with one another, share and promote their research, work to influence policies and improve the lives of those who have experienced gender-based violence.
About WeProtect Global Alliance
WeProtect Global Alliance brings together governments, the private sector, civil society and intergovernmental organisations to develop policies and solutions to protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse online. The Alliance relaunched in 2020 as an independent organisation and is the combination of two initiatives: the European Commission and US Department of Justice’s Global Alliance Against Child Sexual Abuse Online andWePROTECT, established by the UK Government as a global multi-stakeholder response to combating online child sexual abuse.
MEDIA CONTACT
Marek Pruszewicz – marek@togetherforgirls.org