In short: Integrating gender-transformative approaches into child protection systems, guided by new research from UNICEF and Gender Equality Solutions, would address the unique challenges faced by girls, ensuring a more equitable and protective environment for all children.
Why it matters: Gender transformative approaches reshape power dynamics and challenge harmful norms. Key findings from the research emphasize the importance of focusing on adolescent girls, making strategic commitments, addressing challenges, and celebrating early successes in promoting girls' leadership. Gender inequality significantly impacts child protection, and addressing this is crucial for breaking cycles of violence and discrimination against girls.
Highlights: This article explores how these approaches can enhance the effectiveness, resilience, and inclusivity of child protection systems, particularly in safeguarding the rights and well-being of girls. By examining each component of a child protection system through a gender transformative lens, it provides a practical understanding of how to create a more equitable and protective environment for all children.
What needs to be done: UN Member States, UN entities and international non-government organizations are well positioned to establish a global coalition to develop a roadmap for integrating gender-transformative approaches into child protection systems thinking and practice at the country level.

Introduction

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of integrating gender transformative approaches into child protection systems. However, there is still much work to be done to ensure that these systems effectively address the unique challenges faced by girls. The latest research from the UNICEF Gender Equality team and Gender Equality Solutions, outlined in the paper Early learnings from UNICEF's work to employ gender transformative approaches to advance adolescent girls' rights, provides valuable insights into how we can enhance child protection systems to better serve girls. The research was published this month in Child Protection Practice which is a journal of the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.

This article aims to explore how these approaches can enhance the effectiveness, resilience and inclusivity of child protection systems, particularly in safeguarding the rights and well-being of girls. By examining each component of a child protection system through a gender transformative lens, the article provides a practical understanding of how to create a more equitable and protective environment for all children. The structure of the article provides an overview of the main findings of the above-mentioned research and then outlines the seven key components of a child protection system, detailing both the current ‘conceptual’ state and how each component can be adapted to be gender-transformative. It concludes with a call for a global coalition to be created to develop a roadmap for integrating gender-transformative approaches into child protection systems thinking and practice at the country level.

Gender Inequality and Child Protection

As I learned early in my career at UNICEF, gender inequality impacts all aspects of child protection and is a significant barrier to realizing the normative framework for protecting children from harm. This framework acknowledges that the family, whether biological or otherwise, is the primary line of defence in protecting children. The roles of local communities, civil society, and government are to provide support when this defence is compromised or absent. For instance, if a child's family is under siege due to armed conflict, child protection practices adapt to focus on broader family support and security, placing children at the center. In cases of family violence, if a parent or caregiver is under siege from domestic violence, child protection must support both the caregiver and the children in their care. Given that approximately one in three women aged 15 or older (an estimated 736 million women) have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both, at least once in their life, this issue affects a significant number of women. Unfortunately, the intersection between violence against woman and violence against children, is still relatively misunderstood. For example, many positive parenting programs focus solely on improving parenting skills and overlook broader family dynamics. A transformative parenting program would aim to prevent both physical discipline against children and intimate partner violence, challenging the cultural and social norms that fuel and normalise both types of violence.

Understanding Gender Transformative Approaches

Gender transformative approaches go beyond merely acknowledging gender differences; they aim to reshape power dynamics and challenge the rigid gender norms that disadvantage girls. These approaches strive to create an environment where girls are empowered as leaders and changemakers, capable of influencing and shaping the policies and programs that affect their lives.

For example, violence, like poverty, is transmitted from one generation to the next. For many women worldwide, violence begins in childhood and continues throughout their lives. When girls witness violence against women in their families and communities, they may come to see such violence as normal. Similarly, boys who see men perpetrating violence against women, girls, and each other, including racist and homophobic violence, can internalize these actions as typical male behaviour. A gender transformative approach addresses intergenerational violence by challenging harmful gender norms and power imbalances. It implements comprehensive education and community awareness programs to teach gender equality and non-violence, promotes positive role models and mentorship, and engages men and boys as allies. It provides accessible support services for survivors, strengthens legal frameworks, integrates gender equality into policies, and empowers women economically to reduce vulnerability. Additionally, it uses media and cultural platforms to challenge stereotypes and supports grassroots movements to change societal norms, ultimately fostering a culture of respect and equality for future generations.

Key Findings from the Research

Focus on adolescent girls

UNICEF's commitment to advancing child rights explicitly includes supporting the voices, aspirations, and rights of adolescent girls. The integration of gender transformative approaches into UNICEF's Strategic Plan, Gender Policy, Gender Action Plan, and Adolescent Girls Programme Strategy underscores the organization's dedication to achieving gender equality and empowering girls.

This strategic focus is crucial as girls face significant barriers compared to their male counterparts, including limited educational opportunities, higher rates of gender-based violence, and restricted access to healthcare.

As documented by Together for Girls, adolescent girls are at the intersection of violence against girls and violence against women. Its work: “… integrates violence against women and violence against children, consistently applying a gender lens.”

Challenges

The research notes several critical obstacles to be overcome, if the quest for transformative change is to be realized.

Limited dedicated resources and expertise in gender transformative programming pose significant challenges. Staff members often juggle gender-related responsibilities alongside their primary roles, leading to insufficient time and authority to drive sustained change. Additionally, leadership for gender equality and adolescent girl programming in country and regional offices often depends on individual leaders and the availability of dedicated funding.

Political and social sensitivities further complicate efforts. Deeply entrenched systems, structures, and norms around gender and age create significant barriers. UNICEF staff and partners must confront these tensions and clarify their own values to undertake transformative work. Political resistance and conservative norms in some countries can lead to a focus on less sensitive programming, hindering the advancement of gender transformative approaches.

Funding constraints are another major obstacle. Short-term and results-oriented funding limits the potential for sustained, systemic change. Greater and longer-term investment is necessary to ensure the sustainability of efforts and to enact transformative change. The bureaucratic complexities of UNICEF may pose challenges for effective engagement with girls, young women, and their organizations, requiring substantial support from UNICEF staff.

Measurement difficulties also impede progress. There is a lack of consensus on how to measure the meaningful engagement of girls and young women, leading to inconsistent reporting and evaluation across programs. Developing and testing new indicators and innovative feedback methods are crucial for enhancing learning and contributing to the global evidence base.

Despite these challenges, UNICEF has seen early successes in amplifying girls' voices and promoting their leadership. Programs like the Global Girl Leaders Advisory Group and Skills4Girls have demonstrated the potential of gender transformative approaches to make a positive impact.

Research Recommendations

To overcome these challenges, the research makes several recommendations.

UNICEF must enhance expertise by increasing dedicated resources and training for staff on gender transformative approaches. Those handling gender-related responsibilities should have the authority and influence needed to drive positive and sustained change. Addressing political sensitivities involves developing strategies to engage and work with conservative governments and organizations. Promoting values clarification activities can help staff and partners confront their own biases and make meaningful commitments to change.

Securing long-term funding is essential for systemic change. Advocacy for greater and longer-term investments, along with donor flexibility, can support sustained efforts and meaningful investments in transformative change. Improving measurement through developing and testing new indicators and innovative feedback methods, such as Adolescent Girl Scorecards, is crucial for tracking progress and improving programs.

Strengthening leadership and allyship involves fostering strong leadership at all levels of the organization and building close partnerships with diverse groups, especially girls and young women. Ensuring their voices are central in program design, implementation, and evaluation is vital for creating relevant and effective programs. Additionally, focusing on systems and structures can advance work across the entire socio-ecological model (girl-child, household, family, community, and the legal, policy and governance environment). This includes gender-transformative teaching methods, improved quality of school systems, social protection programs, and well-designed interventions to shift harmful gender norms.

Applying Research Findings to Improve Child Protection Systems

UNICEF's approach to child protection systems strengthening aims to develop systems that protect girls, boys and adolescents from violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect, and harmful practices such as child marriage and child labour. This approach addresses the needs of children across different contexts, including those affected by conflict, climate change, displacement, and those in contact with justice systems or living with disabilities. By focusing on making child protection systems effective and adaptable, UNICEF works to ensure the rights and safety of all children.

Components of a Child Protection System

UNICEF's child protection system model is based on seven components: a legal and policy framework; governance and coordination structures; a continuum of protection services; minimum standards and oversight mechanisms; human, financial, and infrastructure resources; mechanisms for child participation and community engagement; and data collection and monitoring systems. This model seeks to ensure that child protection systems are structured, coordinated, and capable of providing support from prevention to response:

“Protecting children from violence, abuse, exploitation and harmful practices across development and humanitarian contexts requires mature child protection systems. A mature child protection system, with the social welfare and justice system as its core, and well-established linkages to other systems, including health, education, social protection and civil registration, is a cornerstone in preventing and responding to all child protection violations.”

— UNICEF Global Annual Results Report, Goal 3, 2022, Page 18

For a deep dive into this systems strengthening approach, UNICEF has created a self-guided and free course on Child Protection Systems Strengthening: Approach, Benchmarks and Interventions.

1. Legal, regulatory and policy framework

A robust legal and policy framework includes enforceable laws and regulations that provide clear guidelines for child protection. This framework involves specific policies addressing various child protection issues, ensuring a well-communicated understanding of the national child protection system, and defining roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders. It also encompasses implementation structures and mechanisms to enforce legislation effectively and deliver child protection services.

Gender transformative lens: To be gender transformative, the legal and policy framework must include specific provisions that address gender-based violence, discrimination, and harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation. Policies should promote gender equality in access to education, healthcare, and legal services. Gender-responsive budgeting should be implemented to allocate resources specifically for initiatives aimed at addressing gender-specific issues and supporting the rights of girls and boys equally.

2. Governance and coordination structures

Governance structures are essential for a cohesive child protection system. These structures include coordination across government departments, various levels of decentralization, and between formal and informal actors. Lead ministries or agencies are designated with the responsibility and mandate to strengthen child protection efforts. National multisector coordination mechanisms and intra- and intersectoral coordination mechanisms at the implementation level are crucial for ensuring that the legal and policy framework is implemented in the communities in which children live.

Gender transformative lens: Governance and coordination structures should include representation from women’s rights organizations, gender experts, and girl-led groups. Gender-transformative training should be provided for government officials and child protection workers to ensure they understand and address gender issues. Mechanisms to monitor and evaluate the gender responsiveness of policies and programs should be established, holding service providers and government agencies accountable for achieving gender equality outcomes.

3. Continuum of services

A continuum of services spans both prevention and response efforts in child protection. This includes the modelling, testing, and scaling of child protection services, the availability of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and protocols as outlined in statutory provisions, and the establishment of child protection case management and referral systems. These services ensure that children receive consistent and comprehensive protection throughout various stages of intervention.

Gender transformative lens: A gender-transformative continuum of services would develop and offer services that address the specific needs of girls and boys, such as shelters, rape crisis centres, counselling, and legal aid. Programs should engage both boys and girls in promoting gender equality and preventing gender-based violence. Services should be holistic, considering the unique physical, psychological, and social needs of children based on their gender.

4. Minimum standards and oversight mechanisms

Minimum standards and oversight mechanisms are vital for maintaining the quality and accountability of child protection services. This component includes the availability of independent accountability and oversight mechanisms, as well as the monitoring and oversight of minimum standards to ensure that child protection services meet established benchmarks and operate effectively.

Gender transformative lens: Establish minimum standards and oversight mechanisms that include gender-disaggregated data collection and analysis to identify and address specific vulnerabilities and needs of girls and boys. Regularly assess the impact of child protection interventions on gender equality and adjust strategies accordingly. Ensure that accountability frameworks hold service providers and government agencies responsible for achieving gender equality outcomes.

5. Human, financial, and infrastructure resources

Human, financial, and infrastructure resources are necessary to support a robust child protection system. This involves ensuring the availability of a qualified social service workforce, sufficient financing for child protection services, and the necessary infrastructure to deliver these services effectively. Investment in these resources ensures the sustainability and efficiency of child protection efforts.

Gender transformative lens: Ensure that training programs for child protection professionals include gender sensitivity and the importance of gender equality. Allocate financial resources specifically for gender transformative initiatives within child protection programs. Develop infrastructure that supports gender equality, such as safe spaces for girls and boys and gender-sensitive technology solutions.

6. Mechanisms for child participation and community engagement

Mechanisms for child participation and community engagement ensure that children’s views are respected and that the public is aware and supportive of child protection initiatives. This includes child-friendly and gender-responsive legal procedures for children's access to justice, independent complaint mechanisms for children, empowerment programs for children and adolescents, and community-based mechanisms for child protection. These mechanisms promote active involvement and support from both children and the community.

Gender transformative lens: Ensure equal opportunities for both girls and boys to participate in decision-making processes related to child protection. Promote and support initiatives led by girls that aim to address gender-based violence and discrimination. Implement programs that engage men and boys as allies in promoting gender transformative approaches and preventing gender-based violence.

7. Data collection and monitoring systems

Data collection and monitoring systems are essential for evidence-based decision-making in child protection. This component includes administrative data systems that routinely generate quality child protection data, surveys, and data governance structures for coordination, oversight, and secure management of data. Knowledge management practices ensure that data is used effectively to inform and improve child protection policies and practices.

Gender transformative lens: Collect and analyse data disaggregated by gender to understand the different impacts of child protection issues on girls and boys. Use data to analyse how gender dynamics affect child protection outcomes and identify areas for intervention. Establish feedback mechanisms to gather input from girls and boys on the effectiveness of child protection services and use this feedback to make improvements.

Key concept in systems thinking

A crucial, yet often overlooked, concept in systems design and strengthening is the interdependence of the system's seven or core components for effective functionality. Just as a car requires both fuel and a functioning steering mechanism to operate, a child protection system depends on the synergy of all seven core components. Investing in one component without ensuring the others are operational and coordinated yields minimal results. In many countries, the absence of a fully operational coordination mechanism means child protection systems only advance when development partners step in, effectively towing the system from one child protection project to the next. This approach is neither efficient nor sustainable.

A Cohesive and Integrated Child Protection System

When these components work together as a cohesive system, they create a comprehensive and effective child protection system. The legal and policy framework sets the foundation, while governance structures ensure coordination and accountability. The continuum of services provides consistent support from prevention to response. Minimum standards and oversight mechanisms maintain quality and accountability, while human, financial, and infrastructure resources ensure the system's sustainability. Mechanisms for child participation and community engagement foster inclusivity and support, and robust data collection and monitoring systems enable informed decision-making. Together, these components create a linked and integrated child protection system that can effectively safeguard the rights and well-being of all children.

Gender transformative lens: An integrated child protection system that is gender transformative would ensure that all components work together to address gender-specific needs and promote a gender transformative approach. Legal and policy frameworks would include gender-specific provisions, governance structures would incorporate gender-sensitive practices, and services would be tailored to the needs of both girls and boys. Minimum standards and oversight would ensure gender equality is maintained, resources would be allocated to support gender initiatives, and participation mechanisms would empower both girls and boys. Data collection systems would provide insights into gender dynamics, ensuring that the system continually adapts to promote gender equality and protect all children effectively.

A Way Forward

To create meaningful change in child protection systems, UN member states with an active commitment to gender equality and child protection, UN entities, and International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) are well positioned to convene a global coalition focused on gender-transformative approaches. UN entities such as UNICEF, UNFPA, and UN Women, could leverage their convening roles to bring partners together. Key partners with comparative advantages in both gender and child protection include End Violence, Together for Girls and WeProtect, as well as organizations like Save the Children, World Vision, Plan International, and others.

Creating and distributing tools and resources to help practitioners implement gender-transformative approaches at the country level is an urgent priority. This would include specific gender-transformative benchmarks for each component of the child protection system. These benchmarks would ensure that the unique needs of girls are met and true gender equality is promoted. This would help ensure that all stakeholders can address the unique needs of both girls and boys within their specific contexts.

As the research highlights, securing sustainable funding and resources is essential. Long-term financial commitments are necessary to ensure the continuity and effectiveness of gender-transformative programs. Financial resources should be directed towards comprehensive prevention, immediate response, and long-term support services tailored to the needs of children and women affected by violence. By embedding these systemic changes into every aspect of child protection, a global coalition could aim to create more equitable and resilient systems. This would fundamentally alter the structures and norms that sustain gender inequality, fostering a culture of gender equality and respect for future generations.

Acknowledgement

I used ChatGPT, an AI tool from OpenAI, to help gather information and pull together this blog post. It’s a great way to get a well-rounded view on the topic. If there are any mistakes, they’re totally on me, not ChatGPT.

Girls & Child Protection Systems: Building a Gender-Transformative Future