Introduction

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a roadmap for global development. One key target is to end violence against children. The Together for Girls (TfG) strategy 2024-2030 is a central part of this effort. This article looks at how TfG's approach will help achieve this goal by 2030.

Violence against children

The TfG strategy highlights some sobering statistics. Annually, one billion children experience some form of violence. Exposure to violence significantly increases the risk of mental health issues, chronic diseases, and educational challenges. Violence against children incurs significant economic costs, including healthcare expenses, legal costs, and lost productivity. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO):

Gender inequality and child protection violations

As the data shows, both girls and boys experience high levels of violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect. However, gender inequality means that girls often experience more violations. Gender inequality exacerbates these issues. Cultural norms, economic disempowerment, educational disparities, legal and policy gaps, health and reproductive rights, and power imbalances all contribute to the heightened vulnerability of girls.

Gender inequality significantly affects how children experience various forms of violence and exploitation. Here’s an overview of how it manifests in specific child protection issues:

• Physical violence: Boys often face corporal punishment and involvement in violent activities, while girls experience physical violence more in domestic settings and intimate relationships.

• Sexual violence: Girls are disproportionately affected by sexual violence, including rape and sexual assault, due to gender power imbalances and societal norms.

• Emotional violence: Boys experience emotional abuse related to not meeting masculine ideals, while girls face emotional abuse tied to gender expectations and restrictions.

• Child marriage: Child marriage overwhelmingly affects girls due to cultural norms valuing boys more, leading to early marriage to reduce family economic burdens.

• Child labour: Boys are more likely to be involved in hazardous labour, while girls often engage in domestic work and face sexual exploitation in labour sectors.

• Online exploitation: Both boys and girls face online exploitation, but girls are more vulnerable to sexual exploitation and cyberbullying due to societal sexualization.

• Children in armed conflict: Boys are often forcibly recruited as child soldiers, while girls face sexual violence, forced marriages, and exploitation in supportive roles within armed groups.

TfGs value add to violence prevention and child protection

A significant value add that TfG brings to violence prevention and the child protection sector is its expertise in the gendered dimensions of child protection practice and its ability to demonstrate how reducing violence against girls has a multiplier effect. For example, reducing violence against girls creates safer, more supportive environments that benefit all children by challenging harmful norms, strengthening legal frameworks, and fostering comprehensive child protection systems. This holistic approach not only safeguards girls but also helps protect boys from various forms of harm. Further, its focus on adolescent girls, who are often at the intersection of violence against children and violence against women, builds a foundation for long-term change.

Another significant value add that TfG brings to various sectors is its expertise in data generation, which is discussed in the section below.

The SDGs and the TfG strategy

The SDGs address ending violence against children primarily through Goal 16, which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies. Specifically, Target 16.2 calls for ending abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence and torture against children. Additionally, Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and Goal 4 (Quality Education) include targets that address issues related to violence against children, emphasizing the need for protective measures, inclusive education, and gender equality to create safer environments for children worldwide.

The TfG strategy is designed to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs by addressing and eliminating various forms of violence against children, including physical, emotional, and sexual violence. The TfG strategy aims to tackle the root causes of these issues while implementing sustainable solutions.

By leveraging data-driven approaches and fostering collaboration across sectors, TfG strives to ensure that the broader child protection, gender and development sectors have the data they need to create lasting change.

Strategic pillars

The TfG strategy is structured around five main pillars: Data, Action, Advocacy, Survivor-Centered Approaches, and Partnerships. These pillars form the backbone of the strategy, guiding efforts to gather high-quality data, implement evidence-based solutions, promote political commitment, ensure survivor involvement, and foster multisectoral collaboration.

Data-driven approach

One of the major challenges identified by TfG is the lack of comprehensive data on violence against children. To address this, the strategy emphasizes the importance of high-quality data collection through initiatives like violence against children surveys (VACs). This is another value add that TfG brings to the child protection sector. By gathering detailed information, policymakers and practitioners can develop more effective interventions and policies.

As I have written elsewhere, at the heart of any organised and effective child protection response are people who know how to gather, analyse and disseminate quality gender sensitive data and information. They know how to use data to identify which children (individuals and groups of children) are vulnerable and why. With this knowledge they know how child protection becomes possible. They know how to use data to create evidence-based programmes, policies, advocacy and behaviour change interventions. They know the value of using data to innovate - to design or test new approaches to overcome challenges and / or to achieve faster or more sustainable results.

Using evidence to shape policies and programs

Another challenge is the limited use of existing evidence in shaping policies and programs. TfG aims to bridge this gap by enhancing the application of available data to drive meaningful policy changes and prioritize evidence-based approaches. This ensures that interventions are grounded in solid research and have a higher likelihood of success.

Advocacy for translating political will into political action

Political will is often insufficient when it comes to addressing violence against children. TfG plans to strengthen advocacy efforts to garner political commitment and accountability at both national and international levels. By rallying support from key stakeholders, the strategy seeks to ensure that ending violence against children becomes a priority for governments and organizations worldwide.

Promoting a multisectoral response

Fragmented responses across different sectors pose a significant challenge in effectively tackling violence against children. TfG promotes multisectoral collaboration, integrating efforts across health, education, justice, and social services to create a unified response. This coordinated approach ensures that all aspects of a child's well-being are addressed holistically.

Addressing emerging child protection violations

Emerging threats, such as digital abuse and violence related to displacement, require innovative strategies and flexible responses. TfG is committed to addressing these new forms of violence through adaptive measures that can evolve with changing contexts. By staying ahead of emerging threats, the strategy aims to protect children in an ever-evolving landscape.

Capitalizing on the value of survivor-centered approaches

The Brave Movement is a global initiative that complements TfG’s efforts by mobilising survivors and advocates to demand action and accountability. It aims to end sexual violence against children and adolescents through advocacy, public awareness, and support for survivor-led movements. By amplifying survivor voices and pushing for systemic change, the Brave Movement plays a crucial role in the broader strategy to protect children from violence.

A critical component of the TfG strategy is the emphasis on survivor-centered approaches. Ensuring that interventions are led by, and support survivors of violence is paramount. By supporting survivor-led movements and initiatives, TfG ensures that the voices and needs of survivors are at the heart of all solutions.

TfG impact in Cambodia

During 2015 to 2019, while I served as UNICEF Chief of Child Protection in Cambodia, TfG provided vital support to the UNICEF Country Office. This enabled significant advancements in child protection efforts, including:

• Comprehensive support for data collection and analysis: TfG facilitated the implementation of the VACS in Cambodia, providing essential data to inform targeted interventions and policy development. TfG also supported capacity building for local stakeholders in data analysis and use.

• Development of national action plans and policies: Using VACS data, TfG assisted in developing Cambodia’s National Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children. This included strategic priorities, action steps, and monitoring mechanisms.

• Multi-sectoral coordination and collaboration: TfG supported the establishment of multi-sectoral steering committees, fostering collaboration among various government ministries, civil society, and international partners.

• Advocacy and awareness raising: TfG helped raise awareness through public awareness campaigns and media engagement, highlighting the issue and advocating for stronger protection measures.

Conclusion

The Together for Girls Strategy 2024-2030 represents a robust and comprehensive approach to ending violence against children, including adolescent girls, who are often at the intersection of violence against children and violence against women, and builds a foundation for long-term change.

This strategy is a call to action for all stakeholders to work together towards a future where every child can grow up free from violence. As we approach 2030, the global community must continue to support initiatives like Together for Girls. Only by working together can we create a future where every girl, every boy, every child is free from violence and able to thrive.

Acknowledgment

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.