"Nothing about us without us" - The Brave Movement welcomes the Council of Europe's publication of its policy on engaging with victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation and abuse

Washington, D.C., May 31, 2024 – The Brave Movement has welcomed the publication of “Nothing About Us Without Us” by the Council of Europe – a policy on engaging with victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.

The guidelines were designed by Brave Movement co-founder Professor S Caroline Taylor AM and Sophie Otiende, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery and the founder of Azadi, a survivor-led initiative in Kenya, who are both survivor advocates for ending childhood sexual violence.

The policy seeks to provide governments and organizations with the right methods and tools to enable survivor-centered engagement on the topic of ending childhood sexual violence. It is imperative that survivors are at the forefront of this discussion and for that to happen, they need to be engaged in the right way.

“As the authors of this policy we thank the Council of Europe and Lanzarote Commission for the opportunity to develop this critically important and unique policy. Childhood sexual violence and exploitation is an urgent and unremitting issue across the globe. Genuine and strategic engagement with survivor advocates in the development, design and implementation of policy, legislation and programmes are key to eradicating these heinous crimes against children.  Survivor advocates possess a wealth of diverse professional skills and lived experience expertise capable of enhancing policy and programme design and increasing survivor confidence in the wider community”, said Professor S Caroline Taylor AM and Sophie Otiende.

“Our vision in designing this policy was to provide governments and organizations with a key tool that will enable authentic and successful survivor-centered engagement. It is vital that the good will and momentum underpinning this policy is maintained to ensure realization of goals of the policy.  We hope that in adopting this policy, governments and organizations will seek the training expertise of survivor advocates to assist organizations in putting this policy into action”.

They added: “As survivor advocates we are proud to have been given the task of writing this unique world first policy on engaging childhood survivors of sexual violence and exploitation as co-creators, co-designers and expert advisors on the policies, legislation and programmes that directly impact all survivors.”

Brave Founder and CEO of Together for Girls Dr Daniela Ligiero said:

“The title of this new policy is exactly right. There are clear solutions which would see children better protected, more justice for survivors achieved and better support for healing and trauma relief. But survivors of child sexual violence must always be included in finding these solutions, bringing their expertise and lived experience into shaping improved policies, programmes and approaches.”

Childhood sexual violence and exploitation is an escalating issue and epidemic which demands urgent action and the need to engage victims and survivors in the fight to end this issue needs to be addressed. This new policy provides the tools for this to happen in an effective way.

About the Brave Movement
Hosted by Together for Girls, the Brave Movement is a survivor-led global movement campaigning to end childhood sexual violence. It is led by 14 powerful survivors and allied partners. It is demanding bold and transformative action to mobilize billions for programs focused on prevention, healing and justice worldwide, abolish statutes of limitation in every nation, and create a safer internet for children.

Media Contact: Marek Pruszewicz – [email protected]