2020: the year of (even more) progress to end violence
2019 was a year of momentum. Children demanded their right to be protected, even at the highest levels of power. People from all sectors came together to strategise and collaborate, making commitments to end violence at an unprecedented level. Organisations, governments and academics invested in evidence, research and hard-hitting data. And, we saw change at both government and ground levels – along with everywhere in between.
The new year gives us a chance to both reflect on these accomplishments and think toward new, more ambitious goals for the new year. With only ten years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, it's more important than ever to step up to the plate for children and contribute to the decade of action to achieve the SDGs. We need to continue placing children at the centre, increasing our focus on prevention, and ensuring financing is available for programmes that work to prevent and end violence against children.
In 2020, we have the opportunity to make more progress toward ending violence for good, and carry the momentum of 2019 forward. The question is, will we take it?
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European Parliament adopts resolution on children's rights
On the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the European Parliament adopted a groundbreaking new resolution to protect children’s rights both on and offline. This resolution marked a historic step forward for children in Europe, as key policymakers voiced the need to better protect the most marginalized. There was a special emphasis on children with disabilities, migrant backgrounds, LGBTI parents, and others.
“It is fundamental to step up our action and work in a multi-stakeholder approach to put an end to these heinous crimes, including by investing in preventive measures, identifying specific programmes for potential offenders and better supporting victims,” said MEP Caterina Chinnici in a press release.
Read the resolution.
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Tunisia takes a step toward increased child protection
Tunisia has become the 45th country to join the Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, often referred to as the Lanzarote Convention. This convention is legally binding and requires criminalisation of all kinds of sexual offences against children, including online sexual exploitation and abuse. Tunisia is the first non-member state to accede to the Convention and demonstrate its commitment to tackling sexual offences against children.
Learn more about the Lanzarote Convention and the Council of Europe’s project End Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Europe, which is supported by the End Violence Fund. Photo credit: © UNICEF/UN0212847/Noorani
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In the US, congress calls for the end of violence
Toward the end of 2019, two resolutions were introduced in the United States House of Representatives, including H. Res. 230, which condemns all forms of violence against children globally and recognises the harmful impacts of violence against children; and H. Res. 723, which encourages all nations to end sexual violence against girls through in-country data-driven reforms.
In the former, the House invoked INSPIRE and its potential to end violence against children for good. In the latter, the House urged for all countries to commit to SDG 16.2, which calls for an end of abuse, exploitation and trafficking of children.
Learn about H. Res. 230 and H. Res. 723.
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Hundreds come together to protect children online
With 200,000 children going online for the first time every day, today’s children are more interconnected than ever before. As the Internet’s reach continues to stretch into countries, communities and homes, children’s safety and protection online have never been more critical – especially when it comes to sexual exploitation and abuse.
To better address this issue, over 400 individuals from the private, public and non-profit sectors joined forces at the Global Summit to Tackle Online Child Sexual Exploitation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 11-12 December 2019. The summit, which was co-hosted by the African Union, WePROTECT Global Alliance (WPGA), and UK Government, provided participants with the knowledge, tools and networks to better understand online child sexual exploitation and abuse, along with the means to implement a strategic global response.
At this event, the 2019 Global Threat Assessment and the Global Strategic Response to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse were launched. In addition, multiple new countries joined the WPGA, and existing member countries renewed their commitment to work together to end sexual exploitation of children online.
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End Violence hosts first grantee convening in Addis Ababa
After three years of grant-making (and $32 million invested in more than 27 countries), the End Violence Fund convened a meeting of its grantees focused on ending online child sexual exploitation and abuse. This convening provided grantees with a collaborative space to teach, learn and network with each other alongside key experts and donors in the field.
The grantee convening was held from 8-10 December, 2019 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Throughout the convening, participants strategised on how to better collaborate across sectors, how to enhance their ability to engage industry; and how to measure and communicate results. They also reflected on the overlaps between new forms of abuse facilitated by technologies and other forms of violence against children, as well as on the latest technological tools and innovative practices to protect children online.
The convening was the first of its kind for End Violence and took place immediately before the Global Summit to Tackle Online Child Sexual Exploitation at the African Union. It was made possible by the support of three End Violence donors: the UK Home Office, Oak Foundation and the Human Dignity Foundation.
Read more.
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Don Cipriani of Ignite Philanthropy speaks at End Violence's
grantee convening in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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New publication seeks to end violence in schools
Schools have the potential to be transformative in promoting positive social norms and gender equality. But for too many girls and boys around the world, school is a place of violence and fear. To help practitioners better understand this issue and work towards solving it, the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) has created a new publication, Ending School-Related Gender-Based Violence: a series of thematic briefs.
This publication includes information on applying a whole-of-school approach to prevent school-related gender-based violence; engaging teachers to create safe, gender-responsive learning environments; shifting harmful gender norms through curricular approaches; establishing safe and confidential reporting mechanisms; investing in data and evidence to inform the response to school-related gender-based violence; and integrating school-related gender-based violence into national policies and education sector plans. This publication is being released alongside UNGEI's 16 Days of Activism, campaign against school-related gender-based violence.
Read the publication.
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Botswana and Zimbabwe release VACS reports
December of 2019 saw two new violence against children survey reports, one from Botswana and another from Zimbabwe. These surveys, or VACS, are led by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of the Together for Girls partnership and are nationally representative household surveys of males and females ages 13 to 24. The VACS are designed to measure the prevalence, past 12-month incidence and circumstances surrounding sexual, physical and emotional violence in childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood (before age 24). The surveys also identify risk factors, protective factors and consequences of violence. VACS results are published in national reports, used in the development of national action plans, and guide effective, evidence-based programs and policies.
The surveys from both Botswana and Zimbabwe made headlines, as Botswana's VACS report was the first country to include HIV testing, and Zimbabwe's latest VACS made the country the first in the world to release two reports.
Read the Botswana and Zimbabwe VACS surveys.
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NetClean releases a new report on child sex abuse online
NetClean has released a new report – the fifth in its series – about online child sexual exploitation and abuse with a focus on law enforcement and businesses. The report aims to shed light on the issue and provide solutions to its mitigation. It also includes an overview of technological resources available to businesses to help curb the production and sharing of child sexual abuse material. Photo courtesy of NetClean.
Read the report.
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New report reveals alarming data on child labour
Right now, 25 million children and adults are being forced to work against their will – often in impossibly difficult conditions. A new report by UNICEF, ILO, IOM and OECD, Ending Child Labour, Forced Labour and Human Trafficking in Global Supply Chains, details the magnitude of this issue across the globe.
The report is unique in the way it combines data on child labour and trafficking with data on trade flows. It also focuses on three main challenges that bar tackling the issue, including: non-compliance of governments with international standards; a lack of preventative approaches that address the root causes of child labour and trafficking; and a void of responsibility and understanding among businesses when it comes to whole-of-supply due diligence testing.
Read the report.
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Climate change's impact on children in the Caribbean
UNICEF has released a new Child Alert report, Children Uprooted in the Caribbean: How stronger hurricanes linked to a changing climate are driving child displacement. This report highlights the six-fold increase in the number of people internally displaced by storms and flooding in the region, including 761,000 children between 2014 to 2018. When separated from their families, girls and boys are at an increased risk of violence, exploitation and trafficking, and can suffer from life-long psychological trauma.
Along with highlighting the impact of such disasters, the report also sets forward a Call to Action to governments, asking them to put children at the heart of climate change strategies and response plans, to recognise children as agents of change, and more. Photo courtesy of UNICEF.
Read the report.
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Global Humanitarian Overview 2020 reveals shocking data
In 2020, 168 million people will need humanitarian assistance and protection. That's 1 in 45 people in the world – the highest figure in decades. This data and more has been released in the Global Humanitarian Overview 2020, an evidence-based assessment of humanitarian needs throughout the world. With conflict, crisis and climate change affecting children, families and communities across the globe, the Overview states $28.8 billion is required to assist 109 million of the world' most vulnerable people. This situation will keep getting worse, the report states, unless we address climate change and the root causes of conflict.
Read the report.
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ECPAT International releases 2018-2019 annual report
ECPAT International, an End Violence grantee and partner working to end child sexual exploitation and abuse across the world, has just released its 2018-2019 annual report. Click the link below to learn about emerging trends, stories from the field, and the organisations efforts to end sexual exploitation of children.
Read more.
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Deadline extended for End Violence's new open call!
Deadline: 15 January 2020 | Apply online
Until 15 January 2020, the End Violence Fund is accepting expressions of interest for projects focused on ending online child sexual exploitation and abuse. We are interested in projects that leverage existing and new technologies to prevent and combat this fast-growing issue, using tools such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, blockchain, virtual reality and other innovative solutions.
Submit your expression of interest and learn more here.
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Training course: caring for children moving alone
10 February 2020 | Available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic
Join the third round of a free, six week-week training course on protecting unaccompanied and separated children on the move. In the last iterations of the course, over 17,000 participants from over 140 countries learned how to offer the best possible alternative care, protection and support to the thousands of unaccompanied and separated children on the move.
The course, which is produced by CELCIS at the University of Strathclyde (with strategic advice and review of course content by Harvard FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University) is backed by 16 leading international humanitarian and children’s rights organisations. It is also informed by the expertise and experience of young people, professionals, volunteers, and academics.
Learn more.
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Do you have news for the End Violence community?
Our newsletter exists to inform and link partners, practitioners, policymakers, researchers, experts, and individuals fighting to end violence against children. To do this, we need information from those who know it best: our partners.
Please email [email protected] with content submissions, including case studies, recently released reports, data and evidence, and any other exciting updates you want to share with the End Violence community. Title your email NEWSLETTER SUBMISSION and if possible, include a relevant photo(s). Thank you!
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