Change is possible, and violence is preventable. By implementing evidence-based policies and targeted interventions we can end violence against children.
In 2010, Kenya's first national Violence Against Children and Youth Survey revealed alarming statistics about the prevalence of physical, sexual, and emotional violence among boys and girls. A decade later the data told a different story. The power of data-driven action at a national level was proven for the first time, uncovering the efficacy of interventions to protect at-risk children.
Investing in ending childhood sexual violence is the right thing to do, and we must protect kids and support those who have experienced this horrible trauma. Globally, policy and decision makers can save billions investing in preventing child sexual abuse. The returns on investment would cut across physical and mental health, labor, judicial, and other sectors.
A recent ECSA-HC resolution prioritizing evidence-based action to stop childhood violence is a milestone for the sector with far-reaching implications for the region.
On May 11-13, 2022, senior government officials and civil society leaders from over 30 African countries gathered at the Pan-African symposium on violence prevention in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.