16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence: Protecting Children in Kazakhstan from Online Risks of Sexual Exploitation

Astana, 25 November 2025 — As part of the international 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Kazakhstan draws renewed attention to one of the most alarming and often hidden threats of the digital age — Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA). With rapid technological development, children and adolescents are increasingly facing online risks they are not prepared to navigate alone.

According to UNICEF’s Kazakhstan Kids Online study (2023), a significant proportion of children in Kazakhstan encounter various online risks:

• 10% of children added to their contact lists people they had never met offline.
• 11% sent their photos or videos to someone they did not know personally.
• 60% of children aged 9–10 and 66% of children aged 11–12 have social media or gaming accounts despite platform age restrictions.

In response to these growing challenges, UNICEF Kazakhstan has launched a two-year programme, “Protecting Children from Online Violence, Abuse and Exploitation in Kazakhstan,” supported by the Global Safe Online Fund.

The programme places particular emphasis on combating the most harmful forms of digital risk, including online grooming (when an adult builds a relationship with a child for the purpose of sexual exploitation), the obtaining or theft of intimate images, the production and distribution of sexualized violence materials, and other violations of a child’s sexual integrity online.

“We are launching this campaign on 25 November — the first day of the 16 Days of Activism — to remind everyone that violence against children can take many forms, including those that occur in the digital space. Many forms of online violence remain unnoticed by adults, yet their impact on a child can be devastating. We call on parents, teachers, journalists and government partners to work together to make the digital world safe for every child. Every informed and attentive adult brings us one step closer to protecting children,”
— said Dr. Rashed Mustafa Sarwar, UNICEF Representative in Kazakhstan.

Today, all key partners — state bodies, international organizations and experts — are joining efforts to strengthen online child protection. The Child Rights Protection Committee of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan plays a central role in this work.

“The digital environment creates new opportunities for children, but it also amplifies risks that no child should face alone. Our priority is to ensure every child’s safety — both offline and online. We are consistently strengthening our response systems to digital threats, expanding cooperation with law enforcement and experts, and implementing awareness-raising programmes for parents, teachers and children themselves,”
— noted Nassymzhan Ospanova, Chair of the Child Rights Protection Committee of the Ministry of Education.

One of the key challenges in combating online crimes is their hidden nature. Such cases are difficult to identify and document because they often occur discreetly and are accompanied by emotional trauma that makes it difficult for children to speak up.

“Crimes involving sexual violence against children online encompass a wide range of serious offences. Each case causes significant harm to a child and requires the strictest possible response. Despite their hidden nature, we are continuously working to identify, document and stop such incidents. In turn, the state is consistently strengthening both legislative and technical measures to protect minors in the digital environment. We will continue to do everything possible to detect these violations and hold offenders accountable,” - emphasized Süyіnbai Zhandos Talgatovich, Head of the Cybercrime Counteraction Department

Currently, UNICEF Kazakhstan, together with partners, is distributing educational materials for schoolchildren, parents and juvenile inspectors to strengthen OCSEA prevention and improve digital safety for children.
These materials are also available publicly on the UNICEF Kazakhstan website and can be downloaded, printed and shared to raise awareness about online risks.