New global partnership and fund to end violence against children everywhere

NEW YORK/BISHKEK, 13 July 2016

– Today at the United Nations children joined world leaders to launch a new partnership and fund to make ending violence a public priority and a collective responsibility.

End Violence Against Children - The Global Partnership

brings together governments, foundations, the UN, civil society, the academia, the private sector and young people in driving action toward achieving the new global target to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence and torture against children.

In the past year, as many as one billion children around the world have experienced physical, sexual, or psychological violence. Globally, one in four children suffer physical abuse. Nearly one in five girls is sexually abused at least once in her life. Every five minutes, a child dies as a result of violence.

“Every day and in every country, children are victimized by violence – and far too often, this violence is accepted as permissible,” said Munir Mammadzade, Chief of Child Protection, UNICEF Kyrgyzstan. “Violence has many forms such as abuse, corporal punishment, trafficking, economic and sexual exploitation, child marriage. This phenomenon is a problem of every society happening in family, schools and institutions. Kyrgyzstan is not an exception.”

Over 57 per cent of children aged 1-14 experienced a form of violent discipline in Kyrgyzstan. One in four children aged 5-17 involved in child labour. Child marriage in Kyrgyzstan is almost 13 per cent (girls under 18). Moreover, girls aged 15-19 believe that domestic violence is justified.

“To address violence against children, it is essential to strengthen existing child protection system and services through timely detection and early intervention to help child victims of violence. In order to prevent violence against children, replication of promising initiatives in promoting nonviolent parenting and schools without violence concept are required,” added Munir Mammadzade, Chief of Child Protection, UNICEF Kyrgyzstan.

"Violence against children is a problem shared by every society – so the solution must also be shared,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake, who serves as founding co-Chair of the Global Partnership Board. "The Global Partnership to End Violence against Children is mobilizing the world”.

At the launch event in New York, government ministers from Sweden, Mexico, Indonesia and Tanzania committed to developing specific plans that will combat violence against children, including tackling behaviours and traditions that further violence, making schools and institutions safe for all children, and strengthening data collection about violence and children, among other efforts.

The Global Partnership today also launched the new INSPIRE package of seven proven strategies to prevent violence against children, created with the World Health Organization (WHO), the CDC, End Violence Against Children, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Together for Girls, UNICEF, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the World Bank. Drawing from decades of research and building on the progress made so far, the new INSPIRE strategies include parent and caregiver support programs, life skills training, the implementation and enforcement of laws, and services for victims.

Note to editors:

The Fund to End Violence Against Children will provide financial support to programs that accelerate action, initially focusing on three priority areas:

• Preventing online violence, with a particular focus on sexual exploitation
• Addressing violence in every day lives of children, with an initial focus on investments in path finding countries to implement evidence-based programming
• Addressing the prevention of violence against children facing conflict and crisis

With generous support from the United Kingdom and in partnership with the

WePROTECT Global Alliance to End Online Child Sexual Exploitation

n, the Fund is now seeking proposals for projects tackling the first priority area – preventing online violence, with a particular focus on sexual exploitation. The Fund accepts proposals between $250,000 and $1million in 3 different languages (English, French and Spanish). Applications should be submitted online through

www.end-violence.org