Credit: WHO / Kiana Hayeri
Violence is a reality for half of the world’s children; 1 billion experience physical, emotional, and sexual abuse every year. Experiencing violence is not only a violation of children’s rights, it also increases the risk of mental health conditions, noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer, infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, and social problems such as criminal activity and substance abuse.
Violence does more than harm individual children; it undermines the fabric of our society. It makes it harder for children to build happy, healthy lives and costs the global economy billions of dollars each year.
To address this global tragedy, the Governments of Colombia and Sweden, in partnership with WHO, UNICEF and the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General on ending violence against children, will host the first-ever Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, in Bogota, Colombia, from 7 to 8 November 2024.
The conference should also help secure a step-change in support for proven prevention solutions and reset collective ambitions to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development target for every child to live free from violence.
Possible outcomes will include:
- Revitalizing country commitments for ending violence against children (building on the existing efforts through INSPIRE and ‘Pathfinding’)
- Announcing a new/renewed collective country-led initiative to end violence against children
- Launching a first-ever child/youth-led, movement dedicated to preventing child violence
- Adopting an inter-governmentally negotiated Political Declaration
- Hosting additional inclusive convenings on pressing issues relating to ending violence against children
WHO will be co-hosting and/or speaking at the following side events:
“Preventing Violence Against Adolescent Girls: Building a Gender Equitable Future”
Co-hosts: Plan International, PAHO, UNICEF, World Bank, WHO; Flyer ; Registration
Date: Wednesday 6 November 2024, Time: 7:00-9:00 pm, Venue: Hotel Opera
WHO estimates show that by the time adolescent girls are 15-19 years of age, nearly 1 in 4 have experienced intimate partner violence, setting many of them on a lifetime trajectory of adverse health and wellbeing outcomes ranging from unwanted pregnancies, school dropouts, substance misuse, unhealthy relationship patterns into adulthood, and more. Panelists and participants will identify vulnerabilities of adolescent girls faced with violence; highlight evidence and good practices on prevention efforts focused on adolescent girls; and explore how evidence packages, such as INSPIRE and RESPECT can contribute to advancing programming for adolescent girls.
“By girls for girls”
Co-hosts: UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, PMNCH
Date: Thursday 7 November 2024, Time: Lunch, Room: Salon N
This adolescent girl-led event will spotlight the urgent need to prevent and address violence against girls. Given the significant and specific burden of violence they face, this event aims to create a safe space for girls to voice their concerns and work together to develop “key asks” for policymakers, urging immediate action to address the unique forms of violence they face. The asks will be presented directly to decision-makers at a ministerial event on November 8.
“Focus on Mayors”
Co-hosts: World Bank, PAHO, WHO
Date: Friday 8 November 2024, Time: Breakfast, Room: K or Salon HI
Cities, many with large and diverse populations, share distinctive risks for violence, while presenting opportunities for scaling up violence prevention efforts. Recognizing the important role of cities, this side event offers a unique space to learn from mayors’ and local policymakers’ experiences, discuss lessons on how efforts to scale up violence prevention initiatives have or can work in their contexts, and highlight good practice examples, of how to adapt INSPIRE and RESPECT frameworks locally.
“The intersections of violence against children and violence against women: what they mean for children’s protection and wellbeing”
Co-hosts: UNICEF Innocenti, Equimundo, Prevention Collaborative, World Bank, WHO
Date: Friday 8 November 2024, Time: Lunch, Room: Salon HI
This session will examine the evidence about the important ways in which certain forms of violence against children and violence against women intersect, including: co-occurrence, shared risk factors and intergenerational effects. We will explore the potential of gender transformative programs, which address the structural and social root causes of gender inequality, in preventing violence against children, as well as violence against women.